A    DIARY    FROM 
DIXIE    *    *    *    j* 


MRS.   JAMES   CIIESNUT,   JK 
From  a  Portrait  in  Oil. 


A    DIARY    FROM 

E  ,  as   written   by 

MARY   BOYKIN   CHESNUT,  wife  of  JAMES 
^HESNUT,  JR.,  United  States  Senator  from  South 
Carolina,  1859-1861,  and  afterward  an  Aide 
to    Jefferson    Dams    and    a    Brigadier- 
General   in    the    Confederate  Army 

Edited  by 

Isabella  D.  Martin  and 

Myrta  Lockett 

Avary 


NEW  YORK 
D.   APPLETON   AND    COMPANY 

1906 


COPYRIGHT.   1905,   BY 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Published  March,  190* 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION:  THE  AUTHOR  AND  HER  BOOK     .    xiii 

CHAPTER   I.— CHARLESTON,    S.    C.,   November   8, 
1860— December  27,  1860. 

The  news  of  Lincoln's  election — Raising  the  Palmetto 
flag  —  The  author's  husband  resigns  as  United  States 
Senator — The  Ordinance  of  Secession — Anderson  takes 
possession  of  Fort  Sumter 1 

CHAPTER  II.— MONTGOMERY,  Ala.,  February  19, 
1861— March  11,  1861. 

Making  the  Confederate  Constitution — Robert  Toombs 
— Anecdote  of  General  Scott — Lincoln's  trip  through 
Baltimore — Ho  well  Cobb  and  Benjamin  H.  Hill — Hoist 
ing  the  Confederate  flag — Mrs.  Lincoln's  economy  in 
the  White  House — Hopes  for  peace — Despondent  talk 
with  anti-secession  leaders — The  South  unprepared — 
Fort  Sumter 6 

CHAPTER  III.— CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  March  26, 1861 
— April  15,  1861. 

A  soft-hearted  slave-owner — Social  gaiety  in  the  midst  of 
war  talk — Beauregard  a  hero  and  a  demigod — The  first 
shot  of  the  war — Anderson  refuses  to  capitulate — The 
bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  as  seen  from  the  house 
tops — War  steamers  arrive  in  Charleston  harbor — "  Bull 
Run  "  Russell — Demeanor  of  the  negroes  ...  21 
v 

271043 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  IV.— CAMDEN,   S.   C.,   April  20,   1861— 
April  22,  1861. 

After  Sumter  was  taken — The  jeunesse  doree — The 
story  of  Beaufort  Watts — Maria  Whitaker's  twins — 
The  inconsistencies  of  life 42 

CHAPTER  V.— MONTGOMERY,  Ala.,  April  27,  1861      ^ 
— May  20,  1861. 

Baltimore  in  a  blaze — Anderson's  account  of  the  sur 
render  of  Fort  Sumter — A  talk  with  Alexander  H. 
Stephens — Reports  from  Washington — An  unexpected 
reception — Southern  leaders  take  hopeless  views  of 
the  future — Planning  war  measures — Removal  of  the 
capital 47 

CHAPTER  VI.— CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  May  25,  1861 
—June  24,  1861. 

Waiting  for  a  battle  in  Virginia — Ellsworth  at  Alex 
andria — Big  Bethel — Moving  forward  to  the  battle 
ground — Mr.  Petigru  against  secession — Mr.  Chesnut 
goes  to  the  front — Russell's  letters  to  the  London 
Times 57 

CHAPTER  VII.— RICHMOND,  Va.,  June  27,  1861- 
July  4,  1861. 

Arrival  at  the  new  capital — Criticism  of  Jefferson  Davis 
— Soldiers  everywhere — Mrs.  Davis's  drawing-room — 
A  day  at  the  Champ  de  Mars — The  armies  assembling 
for  Bull  Run— Col.  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar  .  ...  68 

CHAPTER  VIII.— FAUQUIER   WHITE   SULPHUR 
SPRINGS,  Va.,  July  6,  1861— July  11,  1861. 
Cars  crowded  with  soldiers — A  Yankee  spy — Anecdotes 
of  Lincoln — Gaiety  in  social  life — Listening  for  guns — 
A  horse  for  Beauregard 77 

CHAPTER  IX.— RICHMOND,  Va.,  July  13,   1861- 
September  2,  1861. 

General  Lee  and  Joe  Johnston— The  battle  of  Bull  Run 

— Colonel  Bartow's  death — Rejoicings  and  funerals — 

vi 


CONTENTS 


Anecdotes  of  the  battle — An  interview  with  Robert  E. 
Lee — Treatment  of  prisoners — Toombs  thrown  from  his 
horse — Criticism  of  the  Administration — Paying  the  sol 
diers — Suspected  women  searched — Mason  and  Slidell  .  82 

CHAPTER  X.— CAMDEN,  S.  C.,  September  9,  1861— 
September  19,  1861. 

The  author's  sister,  Kate  Williams — Old  Colonel  Ches- 
nut — Roanoke  Island  surrenders — Up  Country  and 
Low  Country — Family  silver  to  be  taken  for  war  ex 
penses — Mary  McDuffie  Hampton — The  Merrimac  and 
the  Monitor .  .  127 

CHAPTER   XI.— COLUMBIA,    S.    C.,    February    20, 
1862— July  21,  1862. 

Dissensions  among  Southern  leaders  —  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin — Conscription  begins — Abuse  of  Jefferson  Davis 
— The  battle  of  Shiloh — Beauregard  flanked  at  Nash 
ville — Old  Colonel  Chesnut  again — New  Orleans  lost — 
The  battle  of  Williamsburg — Dinners,  teas,  and  break 
fasts — Wade  Hampton  at  home  wounded — Battle  of 
the  Chickahominy — Albert  Sidney  Johnston's  death — 
Richmond  in  sore  straits — A  wedding  and  its  tragic 
ending — Malvern  Hill — Recognition  of  the  Confed 
eracy  in  Europe 131 

CHAPTER  XII.— FLAT  ROCK,  N.  C.,  August  1,  1862 
—August  8,  1862. 

A  mountain  summer  resort — George  Cuthbert — A  dis 
appointed  cavalier — Antietam  and  Chancellorsville — 
General  Chesnut 's  work  for  the  army  .  .  .  .210 

CHAPTER  XIII.— PORTLAND,  Ala.,  July  8,  1863— 
July  30,  1863. 

A  journey  from  Columbia  to  Southern  Alabama — The 
surrender  of  Vicksburg — A  terrible  night  in  a  swamp 
on  a  riverside — A  good  pair  of  shoes — The  author  at 
her  mother's  home — Anecdotes  of  negroes — A  Federal 

Cynic 216 

vii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XIV.— RICHMOND,  Va.,  August  10,  1863— 
September  7,  1863. 

General  Hood  in  Richmond  —  A  brigade  marches 
through  the  town — Rags  and  tatters — Two  love  affairs 
and  a  wedding — The  battle  of  Brandy  Station — The 
Robert  Barnwell  tragedy 229 

CHAPTER  XV.— CAMDEN,  S.  C.,  September  10,  1863 
—November  5,  1863. 

A  bride's  dressing-table — Home  once  more  at  Mul 
berry — Longstreet's  army  seen  going  West — Constance 
and  Hetty  Gary — At  church  during  Stoneman's  raid — 
Richmond  narrowly  escapes  capture — A  battle  on  the 
Chickahominy — A  picnic  at  Mulberry  ....  240 

CHAPTER    XVI.— RICHMOND,    Va.,    November    28, 
1863— April  11,  1864. 

Mr.  Davis  visits  Charleston — Adventures  by  rail — A 
winter  of  mad  gaiety — Weddings,  dinner-parties,  and 
private  theatricals — Battles  around  Chattanooga — 
•  Bragg  in  disfavor — General  Hood  and  his  love  affairs — 
Some  Kentucky  generals — Burton  Harrison  and  Miss 
Constance  Gary — George  Eliot — Thackeray's  death — 
Mrs.  R.  E.  Lee  and  her  daughters — Richmond  almost 
lost — Colonel  Dahlgren's  death — General  Grant — De 
preciated  currency — Fourteen  generals  at  church  .  .  252 

CHAPTER  XVII.— CAMDEN,  S.  C.,  May  8,   1864— 
June  1, 1864. 

A  farewell  to  Richmond — "Little  Joe's"  pathetic  death 
and  funeral — An  old  silk  dress — The  battle  of  the 
Wilderness — Spottsylvania  Court  House — At  Mulberry 
once  more — Old  Colonel  Chesnut's  grief  at  his  wife's 
death  .  .304 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— COLUMBIA,  S.  C.,  July  6,  1864- 
January  17,  1865. 

Gen.  Joe  Johnston  superseded  and  the  Alabama  sunk — 

The   author's  new  home — Sherman  at  Atlanta — The 

viii 


CONTENTS 


battle  of  Mobile  Bay — At  the  hospital  in  Columbia — 
Wade  Hampton's  two  sons  shot — Hood  crushed  at 
Nashville — Farewell  to  Mulberry — Sherman's  advance 
eastward — The  end  near 313 

CHAPTER  XIX.— LINCOLNTON,  N.  C.,  February  16, 
1865— March  15,  1865. 

The  flight  from  Columbia — A  corps  of  generals  with 
out  troops — Broken-hearted  and  an  exile — Taken  for 
millionaires — A  walk  with  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston 
— The  burning  of  Columbia — Confederate  money  re 
fused  in  the  shops — Selling  old  clothes  to  obtain  food 
— Gen.  Joe  Johnston  and  President  Davis  again — 
Braving  it  out — Mulberry  saved  by  a  faithful  negro- 
Ordered  to  Chester,  S.  C 344 

CHAPTER  XX.— CHESTER,  S.  C.,  March  21,  1865— 
May  1,  1865. 

How  to  live  without  money — Keeping  house  once  more 
— Other  refugees  tell  stories  of  their  flight — The  Hood 
melodrama  over — The  exodus  from  Richmond — Pas 
sengers  in  a  box  car — A  visit  from  General  Hood — The 
fall  of  Richmond — Lee's  surrender — Yankees  hovering 
around — In  pursuit  of  President  Davis  .  .  .  367 

CHAPTER   XXI.— CAMDEN,   S.  Cv  May  2,   1865— 
August  2,  1865. 

Once  more  at  Bloomsbury — Surprising  fidelity  of  negroes 
— Stories  of  escape — Federal  soldiers  who  plundered  old 
estates — Mulberry  partly  in  ruins — Old  Colonel  Chesnut 
last  of  the  grand  seigniors — Two  classes  of  sufferers — 
A  wedding  and  a  funeral — Blood  not  shed  in  vain  .  384 

INDEX    ...  405 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

MRS.  JAMES  CHESNUT,  JR Frontispiece 

From  a  Portrait  in  Oil.     Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  the 
owner,  Mr.  David  R.  Williams,  of  Camden,  S.  C. 

A  PAGE  OF  THE  DIARY  IN  FACSIMILE    ....    xxii 

THE  OLD  BAPTIST  CHURCH  IN  COLUMBIA,  S.  C.    .         .        4 
Here  First  Met  the  South  Carolina  Secession  Convention. 

VIEW  OF  CHARLESTON  DURING  THE  WAR    ...      22 
From  an  Old  Print. 

FORT  SUMTER  UNDER  BOMBARDMENT   ....      38 
From  an  Old  Print. 

A  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  GENERALS          ...      94 
Robert  E.  Lee,  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  Albert  Sidney  John 
ston,  "Stonewall"  Jackson,  John  B.  Hood,  and  Pierre 
G.  T.  Beauregard. 

MULBERRY  HOUSE,  NEAR  CAMDEN,  S.  C.        .        .        .128 
From  a  Recent  Photograph. 

A  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  WOMEN       ....     148 
Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis,  Mrs.  Francis  W.  Pickens,  Mrs.  Louisa 
S.  McCord,  Miss  S.  B.  C.  Preston,  Mrs.  David  R.  Will 
iams  (the  author's  sister  Kate),  Miss  Isabella  D.  Martin. 

ANOTHER  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  GENERALS          .     230 
Robert  Toombs,  John  H.  Morgan,  John  C.  Preston,  Joseph 
B.  Kershaw,  James  Chesnut,  Jr.,  Wade  Hampton, 
xi 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 

THE  DAVIS  MANSION    IN    RICHMOND,   THE   "WHITE 

HOUSE"  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY         ....     264 
Now  the  Confederate  Museum. 

MRS.  JAMES  CHESNUT,  SR 310 

From  a  Portrait  in  Oil  by  Gilbert  Stuart.  Reproduced  by 
courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  David  R.  Williams,  of  Cam- 
den,  S.  C. 

MRS.  CHESNUT'S  HOME  IN  COLUMBIA  IN  THE    LAST 

YEAR  OF  THE  WAR 314 

Here  Mrs.  Chesnut  entertained  Jefferson  Davis. 

RUINS    OF    MILLWOOD,    WADE    HAMPTON'S    ANCES 
TRAL  HOME 350 

From  a  Recent  Photograph. 

A  NEWSPAPER  "EXTRA" 380 

Issued  in  Chester,  S.  C.,  and  Announcing  the  Assassination 
of  Lincoln. 

COL.  JAMES  CHESNUT,  SR 390 

From  a  Portrait  in  Oil  by  Gilbert  Stuart.  Reproduced 
by  courtesy  of  the  owner,  Mr.  David  R.  Williams,  of 
Camden,  S.  C. 

SARSFIELD,  NEAR  CAMDEN,  S.  C 402 

Built  by  General  Chesnut  after  the  War,  and  the  Home  of 
himself  and  Mrs.  Chesnut  until  they  Died.  From  a  Re 
cent  Photograph. 


xil 


THE    AUTHOR    AND    HER    BOOK 

where  were  able  to  clear  their  lands  of  mortgages  and  put 
money  in  the  bank  besides.  Planters  in  the  South,  mean 
while,  were  borrowing  money  to  support  the  negroes  in 
idleness  at  home,  while  they  themselves  were  fighting  at 
the  front.  Old  Colonel  Chesnut,  the  author's  father-in- 
law,  in  April,  1862,  estimated  that  he  had  already  lost  half 
a  million  in  bank  stock  and  railroad  bonds.  When  the 
war  closed,  he  had  borrowed  such  large  sums  himself  and 
had  such  large  sums  due  to  him  from  others,  that  he  saw  no 
likelihood  of  the  obligations  on  either  side  ever  being  dis 
charged. 

Mrs.  Chesnut  wrote  her  Diary  from  day  to  day,  as  the 
mood  or  an  occasion  prompted  her  to  do  so.  The  fortunes 
of  war  changed  the  place  of  her  abode  almost  as  frequently 
as  the  seasons  changed,  but  wherever  she  might  be  the 
Diary  was  continued.  She  began  to  write  in  Charleston 
when  the  Convention  was  passing  the  Ordinance  of  Seces 
sion.  Thence  she  went  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  where  the 
Confederacy  was  organized  and  Jefferson  Davis  was  in 
augurated  as  its  President.  She  went  to  receptions  where, 
sitting  aside  on  sofas  with  Davis,  Stephens,  Toombs,  Cobb, 
or  Hunter,  she  talked  of  the  probable  outcome  of  the  war, 
should  war  come,  setting  down  in  her  Diary  what  she  heard 
from  others  and  all  that  she  thought  herself.  Returning  to 
Charleston,  where  her  husband,  in  a  small  boat,  conveyed 
to  Major  Anderson  the  ultimatum  of  the  Governor  of  South 
Carolina,  she  saw  from  a  housetop  the  first  act  of  war  com 
mitted  in  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter.  During  the 
ensuing  four  years,  Mrs.  Chesnut 's  time  was  mainly  passed 
between  Columbia  and  Richmond.  For  shorter  periods  she 
was  at  the  Fauquier  White  Sulphur  Springs  in  Virginia, 
Flat  Rock  in  North  Carolina,  Portland  in  Alabama  (the 
home  of  her  mother) ,  Camden  and  Chester  in  South  Caro 
lina,  and  Lmcolnton  in  North  Carolina. 

In  all  these  places  Mrs.  Chesnut  was  in  close  touch 
with  men  and  women  who  were  in  the  forefront  of  the 

xv 


INTRODUCTION 


social,  military,  and  political  life  of  the  South.  Those 
who  live  in  her  pages  make  up  indeed  a  catalogue  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Confederacy— President  Jefferson  Davis, 
Vice-President  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  General  Robert  E. 
Lee,  General  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson,  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston,  General  Pierre  G.  T.  Beauregard,  General  Wade 
Hampton,  General  Joseph  B.  Kershaw,  General  John  B. 
Hood,  General  John  S.  Preston,  General  Robert  Toombs, 
R.  M.  T.  Hunter,  Judge  Louis  T.  Wigfall,  and  so  many 
others  that  one  almost  hears  the  roll-call.  That  this 
statement  is  not  exaggerated  may  be  judged  from  a 
glance  at  the  index,  which  has  been  prepared  with  a 
view  to  the  inclusion  of  all  important  names  mentioned  in 
the  text. 

As  her  Diary  constantly  shows,  Mrs.  Chesnut  was  a 
woman  of  society  in  the  best  sense.  She  had  love  of  com 
panionship,  native  wit,  an  acute  mind,  knowledge  of  books, 
and  a  searching  insight  into  the  motives  of  men  and  women. 
She  was  also  a  notable  housewife,  much  given  to  hospitality ; 
and  her  heart  was  of  the  warmest  and  tenderest,  as  those 
who  knew  her  well  bore  witness. 

Mary  Boykin  Miller,  born  March  31,  1823,  was  the 
daughter  of  Stephen  Decatur  Miller,  a  man  of  distinction 
in  the  public  affairs  of  South  Carolina.  Mr.  Miller  was 
elected  to  Congress  in  1817,  became  Governor  in  1828,  and 
was  chosen  United  States  Senator  in  1830.  He  was  a 
strong  supporter  of  the  Nullification  movement.  In  1833, 
owing  to  ill-health,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate  and 
not  long  afterward  removed  to  Mississippi,  where  he  en 
gaged  in  cotton  planting  until  his  death,  in  March,  1838. 

His  daughter,  Mary,  was  married  to  James  Chesnut,  Jr., 
April  23,  1840,  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  Thenceforth 
her  home  was  mainly  at  Mulberry,  near  Camden,  one  of 
several  plantations  owned  by  her  father-in-law.  Of  the 
domestic  life  at  Mulberry  a  pleasing  picture  has  come  down 

xvi 


THE    AUTHOR    AND    HER    BOOK 

to  us,  as  preserved  in  a  time-worn  scrap-book  and  written 
some  years  before  the  war : 

"  In  our  drive  of  about  three  miles  to  Mul 
berry,  we  were  struck  with  the  wealth  of  forest 
trees  along  our  way  for  which  the  environs  of 
Camden  are  noted.  Here  is  a  bridge  completely 
canopied  with  overarching  branches ;  and,  for  the 
remainder  of  our  journey,  we  pass  through  an 
aromatic  avenue  of  crab-trees  with  the  Yellow  Jes 
samine  and  the  Cherokee  rose,  entwining  every 
shrub,  post,  and  pillar  within  reach  and  lending 
an  almost  tropical  luxuriance  and  sweetness  to 
the  way. 

"  But  here  is  the  house — a  brick  building, 
capacious  and  massive,  a  house  that  is  a  home  for 
a  large  family,  one  of  the  homesteads  of  the  olden 
times,  where  home  comforts  and  blessings  cluster, 
sacred  alike  for  its  joys  and  its  sorrows.  Birth 
days,  wedding-days,  *  Merry  Christmases, '  depar 
tures  for  school  and  college,  and  home  return- 
ings  have  enriched  this  abode  with  the  treasures 
of  life. 

"  A  warm  welcome  greets  us  as  we  enter. 
The  furniture  within  is  in  keeping  with  things 
without;  nothing  is  tawdry;  there  is  no  ginger 
bread  gilding;  all  is  handsome  and  substantial. 
In  the  '  old  arm-chair  '  sits  the  venerable  mother. 
The  father  is  on  his  usual  ride  about  the  planta 
tion;  but  will  be  back  presently.  A  lovely  old 
age  is  this  mother's,  calm  and  serene,  as  the  soft 
mellow  days  of  our  own  gentle  autumn.  She 
came  from  the  North  to  the  South  many  years 
ago,  a  fair  young  bride. 

"  The  Old  Colonel  enters.  He  bears  himself 
erect,  walks  at  a  brisk  gait,  and  needs  no  specta- 
3  xvii 


INTRODUCTION 


cles,  yet  he  is  over  eighty.  He  is  a  typical  South 
ern  planter.  From  the  beginning  he  has  been  one 
of  the  most  intelligent  patrons  of  the  Wateree 
Mission  to  the  Negroes,  taking  a  personal  interest 
in  them,  attending  the  mission  church  and  wor 
shiping  with  his  own  people.  May  his  children 
see  to  it  that  this  holy  charity  is  continued  to  their 
servants  forever!  ': 

James  Chesnut,  Jr.,  was  the  son  and  heir  of  Colonel 
James  Chesnut,  whose  wife  was  Mary  Coxe,  of  Philadelphia. 
Mary  Coxe's  sister  married  Horace  Binney,  the  eminent 
Philadelphia  lawyer.  James  Chesnut,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1815 
and  graduated  from  Princeton.  For  fourteen  years  he 
served  in  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina,  and  in  January, 
1859,  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  In  November,  1860,  when  South  Carolina  was 
about  to  secede,  he  resigned  from  the  Senate  and  thence 
forth  was  active  in  the  Southern  cause,  first  as  an  aide  to 
General  Beauregard,  then  as  an  aide  to  President  Davis, 
and  finally  as  a  brigadier-general  of  reserves  in  command 
of  the  coast  of  South  Carolina. 

General  Chesnut  was  active  in  public  life  in  South  Caro 
lina  after  the  war,  in  so  far  as  the  circumstances  of  Recon 
struction  permitted,  and  in  1868  was  a  delegate  from  that 
State  to  the  National  convention  which  nominated  Horatio 
Seymour  for  President.  His  death  occurred  at  Sarsfield, 
February  1,  1885.  One  who  knew  him  well  wrote: 

"  While  papers  were  teeming  with  tribute  to 
this  knightly  gentleman,  whose  services  to  his 
State  were  part  of  her  history  in  her  prime — trib 
ute  that  did  him  no  more  than  justice,  in  recount 
ing  his  public  virtues — I  thought  there  was  an 
other  phase  of  his  character  which  the  world  did 
not  know  and  the  press  did  not  chronicle — that 
xviii 


THE    AUTHOR    AND    HER    BOOK 

which  showed  his  beautiful  kindness  and  his  cour 
tesy  to  his  own  household,  and  especially  to  his 
dependents. 

"  Among  all  the  preachers  of  the  South  Caro 
lina  Conference,  a  few  remained  of  those  who  ever 
counted  it  as  one  of  the  highest  honors  conferred 
upon  them  by  their  Lord  that  it  was  permitted  to 
them  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  slaves  of  the 
Southern  plantations.  Some  of  these  retained 
kind  recollections  of  the  cordial  hospitality  shown 
the  plantation  missionary  at  Mulberry  and  Sandy 
Hill,  and  of  the  care  taken  at  these  places  that  the 
plantation  chapel  should  be  neat  and  comfortable, 
and  that  the  slaves  should  have  their  spiritual  as 
well  as  their  bodily  needs  supplied. 

' '  To  these  it  was  no  matter  of  surprise  to  learn 
that  at  his  death  General  Chesnut,  statesman  and 
soldier,  was  surrounded  by  faithful  friends,  born 
in  slavery  on  his  own  plantation,  and  that  the  last 
prayer  he  ever  heard  came  from  the  lips  of  a  negro 
man,  old  Scipio,  his  father's  body-servant;  and 
that  he  was  borne  to  his  grave  amid  the  tears  and 
lamentations  of  those  whom  no  Emancipation 
Proclamation  could  sever  from  him,  and  who  cried 
aloud :  '  0  my  master !  my  master !  he  was  so  good 
to  me !  He  was  all  to  us !  We  have  lost  our  best 
friend!  ' 

"  Mrs.  Chesnut 's  anguish  when  her  husband 
died,  is  not  to  be  forgotten ;  the  '  bitter  cry  '  never 
quite  spent  itself,  though  she  was  brave  and 
bright  to  the  end.  Her  friends  were  near  in  that 
supreme  moment  at  Sarsfield,  when,  on  November 
22,  1886,  her  own  heart  ceased  to  beat.  Her  serv 
ants  had  been  true  to  her;  no  blandishments  of 
freedom  had  drawn  Ellen  or  Molly  away  from 
1  Miss  Mary/  Mrs.  Chesnut  lies  buried  in  the 
xix 


INTRODUCTION 


family  cemetery  at  Knight's  Hill,  where  also  sleep 
her  husband  and  many  other  members  of  the 
Chesnut  family." 

The  Chesnuts  settled  in  South  Carolina  at  the  close  of 
the  war  with  France,  but  lived  originally  on  the  frontier  of 
Virginia.  Their  Virginia  home  had  been  invaded  by  French 
and  Indians,  and  in  an  expedition  to  Fort  Duquesne  the 
father  was  killed.  John  Chesnut  removed  from  Virginia 
to  South  Carolina  soon  afterward  and  served  in  the  Revo 
lution  as  a  captain.  His  son  James,  the  "  Old  Colonel," 
was  educated  at  Princeton,  took  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs  in  South  Carolina,  and  prospered  greatly  as  a 
planter.  He  survived  until  after  the  War,  being  a  nonoge- 
narian  when  the  conflict  closed.  In  a  charming  sketch  of 
him  in  one  of  the  closing  pages  of  this  Diary,  occurs  the 
following  passage:  "  Colonel  Chesnut,  now  ninety-three, 
blind  and  deaf,  is  apparently  as  strong  as  ever,  and  cer 
tainly  as  resolute  of  will.  Partly  patriarch,  partly  grand 
seigneur,  this  old  man  is  of  a  species  that  we  shall  see  no 
more;  the  last  of  a  race  of  lordly  planters  who  ruled  this 
Southern  world,  but  now  a  splendid  wreck." 

Three  miles  from  Camden  still  stands  Mulberry.  Dur 
ing  one  of  the  raids  committed  in  the  neighborhood  by  Sher 
man's  men  early  in  1865,  the  house  escaped  destruction 
almost  as  if  by  accident.  The  picture  of  it  in  this  book 
is  from  a  recent  photograph.  A  change  has  indeed  come 
over  it,  since  the  days  when  the  household  servants  and  de 
pendents  numbered  between  sixty  and  seventy,  and  its  owner 
was  lord  of  a  thousand  slaves.  After  the  war,  Mulberry 
ceased  to  be  the  author's  home,  she  and  General  Chesnut 
building  for  themselves  another  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  Sarsfield.  Sarsfield,  of  which  an  illustration  is 
given,  still  stands  in  the  pine  lands  not  far  from  Mulberry. 
Bloomsbury,  another  of  old  Colonel  Chesnut 's  plantation 
dwellings,  survived  the  march  of  Sherman,  and  is  now  the 

xx 


THE    AUTHOR    AND    HER    BOOK 

home  of  David  R.  Williams,  Jr.,  and  Ellen  Manning,  his 
wife,  whose  children  roam  its  halls,  as  grandchildren  of  the 
author's  sister  Kate.  Other  Chesnut  plantations  were  Cool 
Spring,  Knight's  Hill,  The  Hermitage,  and  Sandy  Hill. 

The  Diary,  as  it  now  exists  in  forty-eight  thin  volumes, 
of  the  small  quarto  size,  is  entirely  in  Mrs.  Chesnut 's  hand 
writing.  She  originally  wrote  it  on  wrhat  was  known 
as  "  Confederate  paper,"  but  transcribed  it  afterward. 
When  Richmond  was  threatened,  or  when  Sherman  was 
coming,  she  buried  it  or  in  some  other  way  secreted  it  from 
the  enemy.  On  occasion  it  shared  its  hiding-place  with 
family  silver,  or  with  a  drinking-cup  which  had  been  pre 
sented  to  General  Hood  by  the  ladies  of  Richmond.  Mrs. 
Chesnut  was  fond  of  inserting  on  blank  pages  of  the  Diary 
current  newspaper  accounts  of  campaigns  and  battles,  or 
lists  of  killed  and  wounded.  One  item  of  this  kind,  a  news 
paper  "  extra,"  issued  in  Chester,  S.  C.,  and  announcing 
the  assassination  of  Lincoln,  is  reproduced  in  this  volume. 

Mrs.  Chesnut,  by  oral  and  written  bequest,  gave  the 
Diary  to  her  friend  whose  name  leads  the  signatures  to  this 
Introduction.  In  the  Diary,  here  and  there,  Mrs.  Ches 
nut  's  expectation  that  the  work  would  some  day  be  printed 
is  disclosed,  but  at  the  time  of  her  death  it  did  not  seem 
wise  to  undertake  publication  for  a  considerable  period. 
Yellow  with  age  as  the  pages  now  are,  the  only  harm  that 
has  come  to  them  in  the  passing  of  many  years,  is  that  a 
few  corners  have  been  broken  and  frayed,  as  shown  in  one 
of  the  pages  here  reproduced  in  facsimile. 

In  the  summer  of  1904,  the  woman  whose  office  it 
has  been  to  assist  in  preparing  the  Diary  for  the  press, 
went  South  to  collect  material  for  another  work  to  follow 
her  A  Virginia  Girl  in  the  Civil  War.  Her  investiga 
tions  led  her  to  Columbia,  where,  while  the  guest  of  Miss 
Martin,  she  learned  of  the  Diary's  existence.  Soon  after 
ward  an  arrangement  was  made  with  her  publishers  under 
which  the  Diary's  owner  and  herself  agreed  to  condense 

xxi 


INTRODUCTION 


and  revise  the  manuscript  for  publication.  The  Diary 
was  found  to  be  of  too  great  length  for  reproduction  in 
full,  parts  of  it  being  of  personal  or  local  interest  rather 
than  general.  The  editing  of  the  book  called  also  for  the 
insertion  of  a  considerable  number  of  foot-notes,  in  order 
that  persons  named,  or  events  referred  to,  might  be  the 
better  understood  by  the  present  generation. 

Mrs.  Chesnut  was  a  conspicuous  example  of  the  well 
born  and  high-bred  woman,  who,  with  active  sympathy  and 
unremitting  courage,  supported  the  Southern  cause.  Born 
and  reared  when  Nullification  was  in  the  ascendent,  and 
acquiring  an  education  which  developed  and  refined  her 
natural  literary  gifts,  she  found  in  the  throes  of  a  great 
conflict  at  arms  the  impulse  which  wrought  into  vital  ex 
pression  in  words  her  steadfast  loyalty  to  the  waning  for 
tunes  of  a  political  faith,  which,  in  South  Carolina,  had 
become  a  religion. 

Many  men  have  produced  narratives  of  the  war  between 
the  States,  and  a  few  women  have  written  notable  chronicles 
of  it ;  but  none  has  given  to  the  world  a  record  more  radiant 
than  hers,  or  one  more  passionately  sincere.  Every  line  in 
this  Diary  throbs  with  the  tumult  of  deep  spiritual  passion, 
and  bespeaks  the  luminous  mind,  the  unconquered  soul,  of 
the  woman  who  wrote  it. 

ISABELLA  D.  MARTIN, 
MYRTA  LOCKETT  AVARY. 


xxn 


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A    PAGE   OF   THE    DIARY    IX    FACSIMILE. 


CHARLESTON.    S.    C. 
November  8,  1860— December  27,  1860 

HARLESTON,  S.  C.,  November  8,  I860.— Yesterday 
on  the  train,  just  before  we  reached  Fernandina,  a 
woman  called  out :  "  That  settles  the  hash. ' '  Tanny 
touched  me  on  the  shoulder  and  said:  "  Lincoln's  elected." 
11  How  do  you  know?  "  "  The  man  over  there  has  a  tele 
gram." 

The  excitement  was  very  great.  Everybody  was  talk 
ing  at  the  same  time.  One,  a  little  more  moved  than  the 
others,  stood  up  and  said  despondently :  ' '  The  die  is  cast ; 
no  more  vain  regrets ;  sad  forebodings  are  useless ;  the 
stake  is  life  or  death."  "  Did  you  ever!  "  was  the  prevail 
ing  exclamation,  and  some  one  cried  out:  "  Now  that  the 
black  radical  Republicans  have  the  power  I  suppose  they 
will  Brown  *  us  all. ' '  No  doubt  of  it. 

I  have  always  kept  a  journal  after  a  fashion  of  my 
own,  with  dates  and  a  line  of  poetry  or  prose,  mere  quota 
tions,  which  I  understood  and  no  one  else,  and  I  have  kept 
letters  and  extracts  from  the  papers.  From  to-day  forward 
I  will  tell  the  story  in  my  own  way.  I  now  wish  I  had  a 
chronicle  of  the  two  delightful  and  eventful  years  that  have 
just  passed.  Those  delights  have  fled  and  one's  breath  is 
taken  away  to  think  what  events  have  since  crowded  in. 
Like  the  woman's  record  in  her  journal,  we  have  had 
"  earthquakes,  as  usual  " — daily  shocks. 

1  A  reference  to  John  Brown  of  Harper's  Ferry. 

1 


.  8^  i860  CHARLESTON,    S.    C.  Dec,  27,   1860 

At  Fernandina  I  saw  young  men  running  up  a  Palmetto 
flag,  and  shouting  a  little  prematurely,  "  South  Caro 
lina  has  seceded!  "  I  was  overjoyed  to  find  Florida  so 
sympathetic,  but  Tanny  told  me  the  young  men  were  Gads- 
dens,  Porchers,  and  Gourdins,1  names  as  inevitably  South 
Carolinian  as  Moses  and  Lazarus  are  Jewish. 

From  my  window  I  can  hear  a  grand  and  mighty 
flow  of  eloquence.  Bartow  and  a  delegation  from  Savan 
nah  are  having  a  supper  given  to  them  in  the  dining-room 
below.  The  noise  of  the  speaking  and  cheering  is  pretty 
hard  on  a  tired  traveler.  Suddenly  I  found  myself  listen 
ing  with  pleasure.  Voice,  tone,  temper,  sentiment,  lan 
guage,  all  were  perfect.  I  sent  Tanny  to  see  who  it  was 
that  spoke.  He  came  back  saying,  "  Mr.  Alfred  Huger, 
the  old  postmaster. ' '  He  may  not  have  been  the  wisest  or 
wittiest  man  there,  but  he  certainly  made  the  best  after- 
supper  speech. 

December  10th. — We  have  been  up  to  the  Mulberry 
Plantation  with  Colonel  Colcock  and  Judge  Magrath,  who 
were  sent  to  Columbia  by  their  fellow-citizens  in  the  low 
country,  to  hasten  the  slow  movement  of  the  wisdom  assem 
bled  in  the  State  Capital.  Their  message  was,  they  said: 
"  Go  ahead,  dissolve  the  Union,  and  be  done  with  it,  or 
it  will  be  worse  for  you.  The  fire  in  the  rear  is  hottest.'* 
And  yet  people  talk  of  the  politicians  leading!  Every 
where  that  I  have  been  people  have  been  complaining  bit 
terly  of  slow  and  lukewarm  public  leaders. 

Judge  Magrath  is  a  local  celebrity,  who  has  been 
stretched  across  the  street  in  effigy,  showing  him  tearing  off 
his  robes  of  office.  The  painting  is  in  vivid  colors,  the 
canvas  huge,  and  the  rope  hardly  discernible.  He  is 
depicted  with  a  countenance  flaming  with  contending  emo 
tions — rage,  disgust,  and  disdain.  We  agreed  that  the  time 

1  This  and  other  French  names  to  be  met  with  in  this  Diary  are  of 
Huguenot  origin. 

2 


THE    SECESSION    CONVENTION 


had  now  come.  We  had  talked  so  much  heretofore.  Let  the 
fire-eaters  have  it  out.  Massachusetts  and  South  Carolina 
are  always  coming  up  before  the  footlights. 

As  a  woman,  of  course,  it  is  easy  for  me  to  be  brave 
under  the  skins  of  other  people ;  so  I  said :  ' '  Fight  it  out. 
Bluffton  1  has  brought  on  a  fever  that  only  bloodletting  will 
cure.'7  My  companions  breathed  fire  and  fury,  but  I  dare 
say  they  were  amusing  themselves  with  my  dismay,  for, 
talk  as  I  would,  that  I  could  not  hide. 

At  Kingsville  we  encountered  James  Chesnut,  fresh 
from  Columbia,  where  he  had  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
United  States  Senate  the  -day  before.  Said  some  one  spite 
fully,  '  *  Mrs.  Chesnut  does  not look  jit  all__resigned. ' '  For 
once  in  her  life,  Mrs.  Chesnut  held  her  tongue:  she  was 
dumb.  In  the  high-flown  style  which  of  late  seems  to  have 
gotten  into  the  very  air,  she  was  offering  up  her  life  to 
the  cause. 

We  have  had  a  brief  pause.  The  men  who  are  all,  like 
Pickens,2  ' '  insensible  to  fear, ' '  are  very  sensible  in  case  of 
small-pox.  There  being  now  an  epidemic  of  small-pox  in 
Columbia,  they  have  adjourned  to  Charleston.  In  Camden 
we  were  busy  and  frantic  with  excitement,  drilling,  march 
ing,  arming,  and  wearing  high  blue  cockades.  Red  sashes, 
guns,  and  swords  were  ordinary  fireside  accompaniments. 
So  wild  were  we,  I  saw  at  a  grand  parade  of  the  home-guard 
a  woman,  the  wife  of  a  man  who  says  he  is  a  secessionist 
per  se,  driving  about  to  see  the  drilling  of  this  new  com 
pany,  although  her  father  was  buried  the  day  before. 

Edward  J.  Pringle  writes  me  from  San  Francisco 
on  November  30th:  "I  see  that  Mr.  Chesnut  has  re- 

1  A  reference  to  what  was  known  as  "  the  Bluffton  movement "  of 
1844,  in  South  Carolina.     It  aimed  at  secession,  but  was  voted  down. 

2  Francis  W.  Pickens,  Governor  of  South  Carolina,  1860-62.    He  had 
been  elected  to  Congress  in  1834  as  a  Nullifier,  but  had  voted  against 
the  "  Bluffton  movement."  From  1858  to  1860,  he  was  Minister  to  Rus 
sia.    He  was  a  wealthy  planter  and  had  fame  as  an  orator. 

3 


Nov.  8,  1860  CHARLESTON,    S.    C.  Dec.  27,  1860 

:  signed  and  that  South  Carolina  is  hastening  into  a  Con- 
Wention,  perhaps  to  secession.  Mr.  Chesnut  is  probably  to 
be  President  of  the  Convention.  T  see  all  of  the  leaders 
in  the  State  are  in  favor  of  secession.  But  I  confess  I 
hope  the  black  Republicans  will  take  the  alarm  and  submit 
some  treaty  of  peace  that  will  enable  us  now  and  for 
ever  to  settle  the  question,  and  save  our  generation  from 
the  prostration  of  business  and  the  decay  of  prosperity 
that  must  come  both  to  the  North  and  South  from  a  disrup 
tion  of  the  Union.  However,  I  won't  speculate.  Before 
this  reaches  you,  South  Carolina  may  be  off  on  her  own 
hook — a  separate  republic. " 

December  21st. — Mrs.  Charles  Lowndes  was  sitting  with 
us  to-day,  when  Mrs.  Kirkland  brought  in  a  copy  of  the 
Secession  Ordinance.  I  wonder  if  my  face  grew  as  white 
as  hers.  She  said  after  a  moment :  '  *  God  help  us.  As  our 
day,  so  shall  our  strength  be."  How  grateful  we  were  for 
this  pious  ejaculation  of  hers !  They  say  I  had  better  take 
my  last  look  at  this  beautiful  place,  Combahee.  It  is  on  the 
coast,  open  to  gunboats. 

We  mean  business  this  time,  because  of  this  convocation 
of  the  notables,  this  convention.1  In  it  are  all  our  wisest 
and  best.  They  really  have  tried  to  send  the  ablest  men, 
the  good  men  and  true.  South  Carolina  was  never  more 
splendidly  represented.  Patriotism  aside,  it  makes  society 
delightful.  One  need  not  regret  having  left  Washington. 

December  27th. — Mrs.  Gidiere  came  in  quietly  from  her 
marketing  to-day,  and  in  her  neat,  incisive  manner  explod 
ed  this  bombshell :  ' '  Major  Anderson  2  has  moved  into 

1  The  Convention,  which  on  December  20,  1860,  passed  the  famous 

''Ordinance  of  Secession,  and  had  first  met  in  Columbia,  the  State  capital. 

3  Robert  Anderson,  Major  of  the  First  Artillery,  United  States  Army, 

who,  on  November  20,  1860,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  troops  in 

Charleston  harbor.     On  the  night  of  December  26th,  fearing  an  attack, 

he  had  moved  his  command  to  Fort  Sumter.     Anderson  was  a  graduate 

of  West  Point  and  a  veteran  of  the  Black  Hawk,  Florida,  and  Mexican 

Wars. 

4 


ANDERSON   IN   FORT   SUMTER 


Fort  Sumter,  while  Governor  Pickens  slept  serenely."  The 
row  is  fast  and  furious  now.  State  after  State  is  taking  its 
forts  and  fortresses.  They  say  if  we  had  been  left  out  in 
the  cold  alone,  we  might  have  sulked  a  while,  but  back  we 
would  have  had  to  go,  and  would  merely  have  fretted  and 
fumed  and  quarreled  among  ourselves.  We  needed  a  little 
wholesome  neglect.  Anderson  has  blocked  that  game,  but 
now  our  sister  States  have  joined  us,  and  we  are  strong. 
I  give  the  condensed  essence  of  the  table-talk :  ' '  Anderson 
has  united  the  cotton  States.  Now  for  Virginia !  ' '  "  An 
derson  has  opened  the  ball."  Those  who  want  a  row  are  in 
high  glee.  Those  who  dread  it  are  glum  and  thoughtful 
enough. 

A  letter  from  Susan  Rutledge :  ' '  Captain  Humphrey 
folded  the  United  States  Army  flag  just  before  dinner 
time.  Ours  was  run  up  in  its  place.  You  know  the  Arsenal 
is  in  sight.  What  is  the  next  move  ?  I  pray  God  to  guide 
us.  We  stand  in  need  of  Avise  counsel;  something  more 
than  courage.  The  talk  is :  '  Fort  Sumter  must  be  taken ; 
and  it  is  one  of  the  strongest  forts.'  How  in  the  name  of 
sense  are  they  to  manage?  I  shudder  to  think  of  rash 


II 

MONTGOMERY,  ALA. 

February  19,  1861— March  11,  1861 

10NTGOMERY,  Ala.,  February  19,  1861.— The  brand- 
new  Confederacy  is  making  or  remodeling  its  Con 
stitution.  Everybody  wants  Mr.  Dayis  to  be  Gen- 
eral-in-Chief_or^President.  Keitt  and  Boyce  and  a  party 
preferred  Howell  Cobb  *•  for  President.  And  the  fire-eaters 
per  se  wanted  Barnwell  Rhett. 

My  brother  Stephen  brought  the  officers  of  the  "  Mont 
gomery  Blues  ' '  to  dinner.  '  *  Very  soiled  Blues, ' '  they  said, 
apologizing  for  their  rough  condition.  Poor  fellows!  they 
had  been  a  month  before  Fort  Dickens  and  not  allowed  to 
attack  it.  They  said  Colonel  Chase  built  it,  and  so  were 
sure  it  was  impregnable.  Colonel  Lomax  telegraphed  to 
Governor  Moore  2  if  he  might  try  to  take  it,  "  Chase  or  no 
Chase,"  and  got  for  his  answer,  "  No."  il  And  now,"  say 
the  Blues,  "  we  have  worked  like  niggers,  and  when  the 
fun  and  fighting  begin,  they  send  us  home  and  put  regu- 


1 A  native  of  Georgia,  Howell  Cobb  had  long  served  in  Congress,  and 
in  1849  was  elected  Speaker.  In  1851  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Geor 
gia,  and  in  1857  became  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  Buchanan's  Ad 
ministration.  In  1861  he  was  a  delegate  from  Georgia  to  the  Provisional 
Congress  which  adopted  the  Constitution  of  the  Confederacy,  and  pre 
sided  over  each  of  its  four  sessions. 

2  Andrew  Bary  Moore,  elected  Governor  of  Alabama  in  1859.  In 
1861,  before  Alabama  seceded,  he  directed  the  seizure  of  United  States 
forts  and  arsenals  and  was  active  afterward  in  the  equipment  of  State 
troops. 

6 


TOOMBS   AND   SCOTT 


lars  there."  They  have  an  immense  amount  of  powder. 
The  wheel  of  the  car  in  which  it  was  carried  took  fire. 
There  was  an  escape  for  yon!  We  are  packing  a  hamper 
of  eatables  for  them. 

I  am  despondent  once  more.  If  I  thought  them  in  ear 
nest  because  at  first  they  put  their  best  in  front,  what  now  ? 
We  have  to  meet  tremendous  odds  by  pluck,  activity,  zeal, 
dash,  endurance  of  the  toughest,  military  instinct.  We 
have  had  to  choose  born  leaders  of  men  who  could  attract 
love  and  secure  trust.  Everywhere  political  intrigue  is  as 
rife  as  in  Washington. 

Cecil 's  saying  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  that  he  could  * '  toil 
terribly  ' '  was  an  electric  touch.  Above  all,  let  the  men  who 
are  to  save  South  Carolina  be  young  and  vigorous.  While 
I  was  reflecting  on  what  kind  of  men  we  ought  to  choose,  I 
fell  on  Clarendon,  and  it  was  easy  to  construct  my  man 
out  of  his  portraits.  What  has  been  may  be  again,  so  the 
men  need  not  be  purely  ideal  types. 

Mr.  Toombs  x  told  us  a  story  of  General  Scott  and  him 
self.  He  said  he  was  dining  in  Washington  with  Scott, 
who  seasoned  every  dish  and  every  glass  of  wine  with  the 
eternal  refrain,  4  *  Save  the  Union ;  the  Union  must  be  pre 
served."  Toombs  remarked  that  he  knew  why  the  Union 
was  so  dear  to  the  General,  and  illustrated  his  point  by  a 
steamboat  anecdote,  an  explosion,  of  course.  While  the 
passengers  were  struggling  in  the  water  a  woman  ran  up 
and  down  the  bank  crying,  "  Oh,  save  the  red-headed 


1  Robert  Toombs,  a  native  of  Georgia,  who  early  acquired  fame  as  a 
lawyer,  served  in  the  Creek  War  under  General  Scott,  became  known  in 
1842  as  a  "  State  Rights JWhig,"  being  elected  to  Congress,  where  he 
was  active  in  tKeCompromise  measures  of  1850.  He  served  in  the 
United  States  Senate  from  1853  to  1861,  where  he  was  a  pronounced 
advocate  of  the  sovereignty  of  States,  the  extension  of  slavery ,  and  seces 
sion.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Confederate  Congress  at  its  first  session 
and,  by  a  single  vote,  failed  of  election  as  President  of  the  Confederacy. 
After  the  war,  he  was  conspicuous  for  his  hostility  to  the  Union. 

7 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,     ALA.          March  13,  1861 

man !  ' '  The  red-headed  man  was  saved,  and  his  preserver, 
after  landing  him  noticed  with  surprise  how  little  interest  in 
him  the  woman  who  had  made  such  moving  appeals  seemed 
to  feel.  He  asked  her,  "  Why  did  you  make  that  pathetic 
outcry?  "  She  answered,  ''Oh,  he  owes  me  ten  thousand 
dollars."  "Now,  General,"  said  Toombs,  "the  Union 
owes  you  seventeen  thousand  dollars  a  year !  ' :  I  can  imag 
ine  the  scorn  on  old  Scott 's  face. 

February  25th. — Find  every  one  working  very  hard 
here.  As  I  dozed  on  the  sofa  last  night,  could  hear  the 
scratch,  scratch  of  my  husband's  pen  as  he  wrote  at  the 
table  until  midnight. 

After  church  to-day,  Captain  Ingraham  called.  He  left 
me  so  uncomfortable.  He  dared  to  express  regrets  that  he 
had  to  leave  the  United  States  Navy.  He  had  been  sta 
tioned  in  the  Mediterranean,  where  he  liked  to  be,  and 
expected  to  be  these  two  years,  and  to  take  those  lovely 
daughters  of  his  to  Florence.  Then  carne  Abraham  Lin 
coln,  and  rampant  black  Republicanism,  and  he  must  lay 
down  his  life  for  South  Carolina.  He,  however,  does  not 
make  any  moan.  He  says  we  lack  everything  necessary  in 
naval  gear  to  retake  Fort  Sumter.  Of  course,  he  only 
expects  the  navy  to  take  it.  He  is  a  fish  out  of  water  here. 
He  is  one  of  the  finest  sea-captains ;  so  I  suppose  they  will 
soon  give  him  a  ship  and  send  him  back  to  his  own  element. 

At  dinner  Judge  -  -  was  loudly  abusive  of  Congress. 
He  said:  "  They  have  trampled  the  Constitution  under 
foot.  They  have  provided  President  Davis  with  a  house." 
He  was  disgusted  with  the  folly  of  parading  the  President 
at  the  inauguration  in  a  coach  drawn  by  four  white  horses. 
Then  some  one  said  Mrs.  Fitzpatrick  was  the  only  lady 
who  sat  with  the  Congress.  After  the  inaugural  she  poked 
Jeff  Davis  in  the  back  with  her  parasol  that  he  might  turn 
and  speak  to  her.  "  I  am  sure  that  was  democratic 
enough,"  said  some  one. 

Governor  Moore  came  in  with  the  latest  news — a  tele- 

8 


A    WAR   SHIP   OFF   CHARLESTON 

gram  from  Governor  Pickens  to  the  President,  "  that  a 
war  steamer  is  lying  off  the  Charleston  bar  laden  with 
reenforcernents  for  Fort  Sumter,  and  what  must  we  do?  " 
Answer :  ' '  Use  your  own  discretion !  ' '  There  is  faith  for 
you,  after  all  is  said  and  done.  It  is  believed  there  is  still 
some  discretion  left  in  South  Carolina  fit  for  use. 

Everybody  who  comes  here  wants  an  office,  and  the 
many  who,  of  course,  are  disappointed  raise  a  cry  of  cor 
ruption  against  the  few  who  are  successful.  I  thought  we 
had  left  all  that  in  Washington.  Nobody  is  willing  to  be 
out  of  sight,  and  all  will  take  office. 

"  Constitution  "  Browne  says  he  is  going  to  Washing 
ton  for  twenty- four  hours.  I  mean  to  send  by  him  to  Mary 
Garnett  for  a  bonnet  ribbon.  If  they  take  him  up  as  a 
traitor,  he  may  cause  a  civil  war.  War  is  now  our  dread. 
Mr.  Chesnut  told  him  not  to  make  himself  a  bone  of  con 
tention. 

Everybody  means  to  go  into  the  army.  If  Sumter  is 
attacked,  then  Jeff  Davis 's  troubles  will  begin.  The  Judge 
says  a  military  despotism  would  be  best  for  us — anything 
to  prevent  a  triumph  of  the  Yankees.  All  right,  but  every 
man  objects  to  any  despot  but  himself. 

Mr.  Chesnut,  in  high  spirits,  dines  to-day  with  the 
Louisiana  delegation.  Breakfasted  with  "  Constitution  " 
Browne,  who  is  appointed  Assistant  Secretary  of  State, 
and  so  does  not  go  to  Washington.  There  was  at  table  the 
man  who  advertised  for  a  wife,  with  the  wife  so  obtained. 
She  was  not  pretty.  We  dine  at  Mr.  Pollard's  and  go  to 
a  ball  afterward  at  Judge  Bibb's.  The  New  York  Herald 
says  Lincoln  stood  before  Washington 's  picture  at  his  inau 
guration,  which  was  taken  by  the  country  as  a  good  sign. 
We  are  always  frantic  for  a  good  sign.  Let  us  pray  that  a 
Caesar  or  a  Napoleon  may  be  sent  us.  That  would  be  our 
best  sign  of  success.  But  they  still  say,  ' '  No  war. ' '  Peace 
let  it  be,  kind  Heaven ! 

Dr.  De  Leon  called,  fresh  from  Washington,  and  says 

9 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  March  13,  1861 

General  Scott  is  using  all  his  power  and  influence  to  pre 
vent  officers  from  the  South  resigning  their  commissions, 
among  other  things  promising  that  they  shall  never  be  sent 
against  us  in  case  of  war.  Captain  Ingraham,  in  his  short, 
curt  way,  said:  "  That  will  never  do.  If  they  take  their 
government's  pay  they  must  do  its  fighting." 

A  brilliant  dinner  at  the  Pollards 's.  Mr.  Barnwell  *  took 
me  down.  Came  home  and  found  the  Judge  and  Governor 
Moore  waiting  to  go  with  me  to  the  Bibbs 's.  And  they  say  it 
is  dull  in  Montgomery !  Clayton,  fresh  from  Washington, 
was  at  the  party  and  told  us  '  *  there  was  to  be  peace. ' ' 

February  28th. — In  the  drawing-room  a  literary  lady 
began  a  violent  attack  upon  this  mischief-making  South 
Carolina.  She  told  me  she  was  a  successful  writer  in  the 
magazines  of  the  day,  but  when  I  found  she  used  "  incredi 
ble  "  for  "  incredulous,"  I  said  not  a  word  in  defense  of 
my  native  land.  I  left  her  ' '  incredible. ' '  Another  person 
came  in,  while  she  was  pouring  upon  me  her  home  troubles, 
and  asked  if  she  did  not  know  I  was  a  Carolinian.  Then 
she  gracefully  reversed  her  engine,  and  took  the  other  tack, 
sounding  our  praise,  but  I  left  her  incredible  and  I  re 
mained  incredulous,  too. 

Brewster  says  the  war  specks  are  growing  in  size.  No 
body  at  the  North,  or  in  Virginia,  believes  we  are  in  ear 
nest.  They  think  we  are  sulking  and  that  Jeff  Davis  and 
Stephens  2  are  getting  up  a  very  pretty  little  comedy.  The 


1  Robert  Woodward  Barnwell,  of  South  Carolina,  a  graduate  of 
Harvard,  twice  a  member  of  Congress  and  afterward  United  States 
Senator.     In  1860,  after  the  passage  of  the  Ordinance  of  Secession,  he 
was  one  of  the  Commissioners  who  went  to  Washington  to  treat  with 
the  National  Government  for  its  property  within  the  State.     He  was 
a  member  of  the  Convention  at  Montgomery  and  gave  the  casting  vote 
which  made  Jefferson  Davis  President  of  the  Confederacy. 

2  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  the  eminent  statesman  of  Georgia,  who 
before  the  war  had  been  conspicuous  in  all  the  political  movements  of 
his  time  and  in  1861  became  Vice-President  of  the  Confederacy.     After 

10 


WAR    SPECKS    GROWING 


Virginia  delegates  were  insulted  at  the  peace  conference; 
Brewster  said,  "  kicked  out." 

The  Judge  thought  Jefferson  Davis  rude  to  him 
when  the  latter  was  Secretary  of  War.  Mr.  Chesnut  per 
suaded  the  Judge  to  forego  his  private  wrong  for  the  pub 
lic  good,  and  so  he  voted  for  him,  but  now  his  old  grudge 
has  come  back  with  an  increased  venomousness.  What  a 
pity  to  bring  the  spites  of  the  old  Union  into  this  new  one ! 
It  seems  to  me  already  men  are  willing  to  risk  an  injury  to 
our  cause,  if  they  may  in  so  doing  hurt  Jeff  Davis. 

March  1st. — Dined  to-day  with  Mr.  Hill x  from  Georgia, 
and  his  wife.  After  he  left  us  she  told  me  he  was  the  cele 
brated  individual  who,  for  Christian  scruples,  refused  to 
fight  a  duel  with  Stephens.2  She  seemed  very  proud  of 
him  for  his  conduct  in  the  affair.  Ignoramus  that  I  am,  I 
had  not  heard  of  it.  I  am  having  all  kinds  of  experiences. 
Drove  to-day  with  a  lady  who  fervently  wished  her  husband 
would  go  down  to  Pensacola  and  be  shot.  I  was  dumb  with 
amazement,  of  course.  Telling  my  story  to  one  who  knew 
the  parties,  was  informed,  "  Don't  you  know  he  beats 
her  ?  ' :  So  I  have  seen  a  man  '  *  who  lifts  his  hand  against 
a  woman  in  aught  save  kindness." 


the  war  he  again  became  conspicuous  in  Congress  and  wrote  a  history- 
entitled  "The  War  between  the  States." 

1  Benjamin  IL  Hill,  who  had  already  been  active  in  State  and 
National  affairs  when  the  Secession  movement  was  carried  through. 
He  had  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Union  until  in  Georgia  the  reso 
lution  was  passed  declaring  that  the  State  ought  to  secede.     He  then 
became  a  prominent  supporter  of  secession.     He  was  a  member  of  the 
Confederate  Congress,  which  met  in  Montgomery  in  1861,  and  served 
in  the  Confederate  Senate  until  the  end  of  the  war.     After  the  war,  he 
was  elected  to  Congress  and  opposed  the  Reconstruction  policy  of  that 
body.     In  1877  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Georgia. 

2  Governor  Herschel  V.  Johnson  also  declined,  and  doubtless  for 
similar  reasons,  to  accept  a  challenge  from  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  who, 
though  endowed  with  the  courage  of  a  gladiator,  was  very  small  and 
frail. 

3  11 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  March  13,  1861 

Brewster  says  Lincoln  passed  through  Baltimore  dis 
guised,  and  at  night,  and  that  he  did  well,  for  just  now  Bal 
timore  is  dangerous  ground.  He  says  that  he  hears  from 
all  quarters  that  the  vulgarity  of  Lincoln,  his  wife,  and  his 
son  is  beyond  credence,  a  thing  you  must  see  before  you 
can  believe  it.  Senator  Stephen  A.  Douglas  told  Mr.  Ches- 
nut  that  "  Lincoln  is  awfully  clever,  and  that  he  had 
found  him  a  heavy  handful." 

Went  to  pay  my  respects  to  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis.  She 
met  me  with  open  arms.  We  did  not  allude  to  anything 
by  which  we  are  surrounded.  We  eschewed  politics  and 
our  changed  relations. 

March  3d. — Everybody  in  fine  spirits  in  my  world. 
They  have  one  and  all  spoken  in  the  Congress  *  to  their 
own  perfect  satisfaction.  To  my  amazement  the  Judge 
took  me  aside,  and,  after  delivering  a  panegyric  upon  him 
self  (but  here,  later,  comes  in  the  amazement),  he  praised 
my  husband  to  the  skies,  and  said  he  was  the  fittest  man  of 
all  for  a  foreign  mission.  Aye ;  and  the  farther  away  they 
send  us  from  this  Congress  the  better  I  will  like  it. 

Saw  Jere  Clemens  and  Nick  Davis,  social  curiosities. 
They  are  Anti -Secession  leaders ;  then  George  Sanders  and 
George  Deas.  The  Georges  are  of  opinion  that  it  is 
folly  to  try  to  take  back  Fort  Sumter  from  Anderson  and 
the  United  States :  that  is,  before  we  are  ready.  They  saw 
in  Charleston  the  devoted  band  prepared  for  the  sacrifice; 
I  mean,  ready  to  run  their  heads  against  a  stone  wall. 
Dare  devils  they  are.  They  have  dash  and  courage  enough, 
but  science  only  could  take  that  fort.  They  shook  their 
heads. 

March  4th. — The  Washington  Congress  has  passed  peace 


1  It  was  at  this  Congress  that  Jefferson  Davis,  on  February  9,  1861, 
was  elected  President,  and  Alexander  H.  Stephens  Vice-President  of 
the  Confederacy.  The  Congress  continued  to  meet  in  Montgomery 
until  its  removal  to  Richmond,  in  July,  1861. 

12 


PEACE    MEASURES 


measures.  Glory  be  to  God  (as  my  Irish  Margaret  used  to 
preface  every  remark,  both  great  and  small). 

At  last,  according  to  his  wish,  I  was  able  to  introduce 
Mr.  Hill,  of  Georgia,  to  Mr.  Mallory,1  and  also  Governor 
Moore  and  Brewster,  the  latter  the  only  man  without  a 
title  of  some  sort  that  I  know  in  this  democratic  subdivided 
republic. 

I  have  seen  a  negro  woman  sold  on  the  block  at  auction. 
She  overtopped  the  crowd.  I  was  walking  and  felt  faint, 
seasick.  The  creature  looked  so  like  my  good  little  Nancy, 
a  bright  mulatto  with  a  pleasant  face.  She  was  magnifi 
cently  gotten  up  in  silks  and  satins.  She  seemed  delighted 
with  it  all,  sometimes  ogling  the  bidders,  sometimes  looking 
quiet,  coy,  and  modest,  but  her  mouth  never  relaxed  from 
its  expanded  grin  of  excitement.  I  dare  say  the  poor 
thing  knew  who  would  buy  her.  I  sat  down  on  a  stool  in  a 
shop  and  disciplined  my  wild  thoughts.  I  tried  it  Sterne 
fashion.  You  know  how  women  sell  themselves  and  are 
sold  in  marriage  from  queens  downward,  eh?  You  know 
what  the  Bible  says  about  slavery  and  marriage;  poor 
women!  poor  slaves!  Sterne,  with  his  starling — what  did 
he  know?  He  only  thought,  he  did  not  feel. 

In  Evan  Harrington  I  read:  "  Like  a  true  English 
female,  she  believed  in  her  own  inflexible  virtue,  but  never 
trusted  her  husband  out  of  sight/' 

The  New  York  Herald  says :  ' i  Lincoln 's  carriage  is  not 
bomb-proof;  so  he  does  not  drive  out."  Two  flags  and  a 
bundle  of  sticks  have  been  sent  him  as  gentle  reminders. 
The  sticks  are  to  break  our  heads  with.  The  English  are 
gushingly  unhappy  as  to  our  family  quarrel.  Magnani 
mous  of  them,  for  it  is  their  opportunity. 


1  Stephen  R.  Mallory  was  the  son  of  a  shipmaster  of  Connecticut, 
who  had  settled  in  Key  West  in  1820.  From  1851  to  1861  Mr.  Mallory 
was  United  States  Senator  from  Florida,  and  after  the  formation  of  the 
Confederacy,  became  its  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

13 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.          March  13,  1861 

March  5th. — We  stood  on  the  balcony  to  see  our  Confed 
erate  flag  go  up.  Roars  of  cannqn,  etc.,  etc.  Miss  Sanders 
complained  (so  said  Captain  Ingraham)  of  the  deadness  of 
the  mob.  * '  It  was  utterly  spiritless, ' '  she  said ;  ' '  no  cheer 
ing,  or  so  little,  and  no  enthusiasm."  Captain  Ingraham 
suggested  that  gentlemen  "  are  apt  to  be  quiet,"  and  this 
was  "  a  thoughtful  crowd,  the  true  mob  element  with  us 
just  now  is  hoeing  corn."  And  yet!  It  is  uncomfortable 
that  the  idea  has  gone  abroad  that  we  have  no  joy,  no 
pride,  in  this  thing.  The  band  was  playing  '  *  Massa  in  the 
•  cold,  cold  ground. ' '  Miss  Tyler,  daughter  of  the  former 
President  of  the  United  States,  ran  up  the  flag. 

Captain  Ingraham  pulled  out  of  his  pocket  some  verses 
sent  to  him  by  a  Boston  girl.  They  were  well  rhymed  and 
amounted  to  this:  she  held  a  rope  ready  to  hang  him, 
though  she  shed  tears  when  she  remembered  his  heroic  res 
cue  of  Koszta.  Koszta,  the  rebel !  She  calls  us  rebels,  too. 
So  it  depends  upon  whom  one  rebels  against — whether  to 
save  or  not  shall  be  heroic. 

I  must  read  Lincoln's  inaugural.  Oh,  "  comes  he  in 
peace,  or  comes  he  in  war,  or  to  tread  but  one  measure  as 
Young  Lochinvar?  "  Lincoln's  aim  is  to  seduce  the  border 
vStates. 

The  people,  the  natives,  I  mean,  are  astounded  that  I 
calmly  affirm,  in  all  truth  and  candor,  that  if  there  were 
awful  things  in  society  in  Washington,  I  did  not  see  or 
hear  of  them.  One  must  have  been  hard  to  please  who  did 
not  like  the  people  I  knew  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Chesnut  has  gone  with  a  list  of  names  to  the  Presi 
dent — de  Treville,  Kershaw,  Baker,  and  Robert  Rutledge. 
They  are  taking  a  walk,  I  see.  I  hope  there  will  be  good 
places  in  the  army  for  our  list. 

March  8th. — Judge   Campbell,1   of  the  United   States 

1  John  Archibald  Campbell,  who  had  settled  in  Montgomery  and  was 
appointed  Associate  Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  by 

14 


FALLEN    GREATNESS 


Supreme  Court,  has  resigned.  Lord!  how  he  must  have 
hated  to  do  it.  How  other  men  who  are  resigning  high  posi 
tions  must  hate  to  do  it. 

Now  we  may  be  sure  the  bridge  is  broken.  And  yet 
in  the  Alabama  Convention  they  say  Reconstructionists 
abound  and  are  busy. 

Met  a  distinguished  gentleman  that  I  knew  when  he 
was  in  more  affluent  circumstances.  I  was  willing  enough 
to  speak  to  him,  but  when  he  saw  me  advancing  for  that 
purpose,  to  avoid  me,  he  suddenly  dodged  around  a  corner 
—William,  Mrs.  de  Saussure  's  former  coachman.  I  remem 
ber  him  on  his  box,  driving  a  handsome  pair  of  bays, 
dressed  sumptuously  in  blue  broadcloth  and  brass  but 
tons;  a  stout,  respectable,  fine-looking,  middle-aged  mulat 
to.  He  was  very  high  and  mighty. 

Night  after  night  we  used  to  meet  him  as  fiddler-in-chief 
of  all  our  parties.  He  sat  in  solemn  dignity,  making  faces 
over  his  bow,  and  patting  his  foot  with  an  emphasis  that 
shook  the  floor.  We  gave  him  five  dollars  a  night ;  that  was 
his  price.  His  mistress  never  refused  to  let  him  play  for 
any  party.  He  had  stable-boys  in  abundance.  He  was  far 
above  any  physical  fear  for  his  sleek  and  well-fed  person. 
How  majestically  he  scraped  his  foot  as  a  sign  that  he  was 
tuned  up  and  ready  to  begin ! 

Now  he  is  a  shabby  creature  indeed.  He  must  have  felt 
his  fallen  fortunes  when  he  met  me — one  who  knew  him  in 
his  prosperity.  He  ran  away,  this  stately  yellow  gentle 
man,  from  wife  and  children,  home  and  comfort.  My 
Molly  asked  him  "  Why?  Miss  Liza  was  good  to  you,  I 
know."  I  wonder  who  owns  him  now;  he  looked  forlorn. 

Governor  Moore  brought  in,  to  be  presented  to  me,  the 
President  of  the  Alabama  Convention.  It  seems  I  had 

President  Pierce  in  1853.  Before  he  resigned,  he  exerted  all  his  influence 
to  prevent  Civil  War  and  opposed  secession,  although  he  believed  that 
States  had  a  right  to  secede. 

15 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.          March  13,  1861 

known  him  before;  he  had  danced  with  me  at  a  dancing- 
school  ball  when  I  was  in  short  f  Kocks,  with  sash,  flounces, 
and  a  wreath  of  roses.  He  was  one  of  those  clever  boys  of 
our  neighborhood,  in  whom  my  father  saw  promise  of  bet 
ter  things,  and  so  helped  him  in  every  way  to  rise,  with 
books,  counsel,  sympathy.  I  was  enjoying  his  conversation 
immensely,  for  he  was  praising  my  father  *  without  stint, 
when  the  Judge  came  in,  breathing  fire  and  fury.  Congress 
has  incurred  his  displeasure.  We  are  abusing  one  another 
as  fiercely  as  ever  we  have  abused  Yankees.  It  is  disheart 
ening. 

March  10th. — Mrs.  Childs  was  here  to-night  (Mary  An 
derson,  from  Statesburg),  with  several  children.  She  is 
lovely.  Her  hair  is  piled  up  on  the  top  of  her  head  oddly. 
Fashions  from  France  still  creep  into  Texas  across  Mexican 
borders.  Mrs.  Childs  is  fresh  from  Texas.  Her  husband 
is  an  artillery  officer,  or  was.  They  will  be  glad  to  promote 
him  here.  Mrs.  Childs  had  the  sweetest  Southern  voice, 
absolute  music.  But  then,  she  has  all  of  the  high  spirit  of 
those  sweet- voiced  Carolina  women,  too. 

Then  Mr.  Browne  came  in  with  his  fine  English  accent, 
so  pleasant  to  the  ear.  He  tells  us  that  Washington  society 
is  not  reconciled  to  the  Yankee  regime.  Mrs.  Lincoln  means 
to  economize.  She  at  once  informed  the  major-domo  that 
they  were  poor  and  hoped  to  save  twelve  thousand  dollars 
every  year  from  their  salary  of  twenty  thousand.  Mr. 
Browne  said  Mr.  Buchanan's  farewell  was  far  more  impos 
ing  than  Lincoln's  inauguration. 

The  people  were  so  amusing,  so  full  of  Western  stories. 

1  Mrs.  Chesuut's  father  was  Stephen  Decatur  Miller,  who  was  born 
in  South  Carolina  in  1787,  and  died  in  Mississippi  in  1838.  He  was 
elected  to  Congress  in  1816,  as  an  Anti-Calhoun  Democrat,  and  from 
1828  to  1830  was  Governor  of  South  Carolina.  He  favored  Nullifica 
tion,  and  in  1830  was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  South  Carolina, 
but  resigned  three  years  afterward  in  consequence  of  ill  health.  In 
1835  he  removed  to  Mississippi  and  engaged  in  cotton  growing. 

16 


SEWARD   IN   THE   ASCENDENT 

Dr.  Boykin  behaved  strangely.  All  day  he  had  been  gaily 
driving  about  with  us,  and  never  was  man  in  finer  spirits. 
To-night,  in  this  brilliant  company,  he  sat  dead  still  as  if 
in  a  trance.  Once,  he  waked  somewhat — when  a  high  public 
functionary  came  in  with  a  present  for  me,  a  miniature 
gondola,  "A  perfect  Venetian  specimen,"  he  assured  me 
again  and  again.  In  an  undertone  Dr.  Boykin  muttered: 
"  That  fellow  has  been  drinking."  "  Why  do  you  think 
so?  "  il  Because  he  has  told  you  exactly  the  same  thing 
four  times. ' '  Wonderful !  Some  of  these  great  statesmen 
always  tell  me  the  same  thing — and  have  been  telling  me 
the  same  thing  ever  since  we  came  here. 

A  man  came  in  and  some  one  said  in  an  undertone, 
"  The  age  of  chivalry  is  not  past,  O  ye  Americans!  ?; 
*  What  do  you  mean  ?  ' :  ' '  That  man  was  once  nominated 
by  President  Buchanan  for  a  foreign  mission,  but  some  Sen 
ator  stood  up  and  read  a  paper  printed  by  this  man  abusive 
of  a  woman,  and  signed  by  his  name  in  full.  After  that 
the  Senate  would  have  none  of  him;  his  chance  was  gone 
forever. ' ' 

March  llth. — In  full  conclave  to-night,  the  drawing- 
room  crowded  with  Judges,  Governors,  Senators,  Generals, 
Congressmen.  They  were  exalting  John  C.  Calhoun's  hos 
pitality.  He  allowed  everybody  to  stay  all  night  who  chose 
to  stop  at  his  house.  An  ill-mannered  person,  on  one  occa 
sion,  refused  to  attend  family  prayers.  Mr.  Calhoun  said 
to  the  servant,  ' '  Saddle  that  man 's  horse  and  let  him  go. ' ' 
From  the  traveler  Calhoun  would  take  no  excuse  for  the 
"  Deity  offended."  I  believe  in  Mr.  Calhoun's  hospitality, 
but  not  in  his  family  prayers.  Mr.  Calhoun's  piety  was  of 
the  most  philosophical  type,  from  all  accounts.1 

The  latest  news  is  counted  good  news;  that  is,  the  last 
man  who  left  Washington  tells  us  that  Seward  is  in  the 
ascendency.  He  is  thought  to  be  the  friend  of  peace. 

1  John  C.  Calhoun  had  died  in  March,  1850. 

17 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  March  13,  1861 

The  man  did  say,  however,  that  "  that  serpent  Seward  is 
in  the  ascendency  just  now." 

Harriet  Lane  has  eleven  suitors.  One  is  described  as 
likely  to  win,  or  he  would  be  likely  to  win,  except  that  he  is 
too  heavily  weighted.  He  has  been  married  before  and 
goes  about  with  children  and  two  mothers.  There  are  limits 
beyond  which !  Two  mothers-in-law ! 

Mr.  Ledyard  spoke  to  Mrs.  Lincoln  in  behalf  of  a  door 
keeper  who  almost  felt  he  had  a  vested  right,  having  been 
there  since  Jackson 's  time ;  but  met  with  the  same  answer ; 
she  had  brought  her  own  girl  and  must  economize.  Mr. 
Ledyard  thought  the  twenty  thousand  (and  little  enough  it 
is)  was  given  to  the  President  of  these  United  States  to 
enable  him  to  live  in  proper  style,  and  to  maintain  an  estab 
lishment  of  such  dignity  as  befits  the  head  of  a  great  na 
tion.  It  is  an  infamy  to  economize  with  the  public  money 
and  to  put  it  into  one's  private  purse.  Mrs.  Browne  was 
walking  with  me  when  we  were  airing  our  indignation 
against  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  her  shabby  economy.  The  Herald 
says  three  only  of  the  elite  Washington  families  attended 
the  Inauguration  Ball. 

Th£  Judge  has  just  come  in  and  said :  *  '  Last  night, 
after  Dr.  Boykin  left  on  the  cars,  there  came  a  telegram 
that  his  little  daughter,  Amanda,  had  died  suddenly."  In 
some  way  he  must  have  known  it  beforehand.  He  changed 
so  suddenly  yesterday,  and  seemed  so  careworn  and  un 
happy.  He  believes  in  clairvoyance,  magnetism,  and  all 
that.  Certainly,  there  was  some  terrible  foreboding  of 
this  kind  on  his  part. 

Tuesday. — Now  this,  they  say,  is  positive :  ' '  Fort  Sum- 
er  is  to  be  released  and  we  are  to  have  no  war."  After 
all,  far  too  good  to  be  true.  Mr.  Browne  told  us  that,  at 
one  of  the  peace  intervals  (I  mean  intervals  in  the  interest 
of  peace) ,  Lincoln  flew  through  Baltimore,  locked  up  in  an 
express  car.  He  wore  a  Scotch  cap. 

We  went  to  the  Congress.  Governor  Cobb,  who  pre- 
18 


LINCOLN   DESCRIBED 


sides  over  that  august  body,  put  James  Chesnut  in  the 
chair,  and  came  down  to  talk  to  us.  He  told  us  why  the 
pay  of  Congressmen  was  fixed  in  secret  session,  and  why  the 
amount  of  it  was  never  divulged — to  prevent  the  lodging- 
house  and  hotel  people  from  making  their  bills  of  a  size  to 
cover  it  all.  "  The  bill  would  be  sure  to  correspond  with 
the  pay,"  he  said. 

In  the  hotel  parlor  we  had  a  scene.  Mrs.  Scott  was 
describing  Lincoln,  who  is  of  the  cleverest  Yankee  type. 
She  said :  ' (  Awfully  ugly,  even  grotesque  in  appearance, 
the  kind  who  are  always  at  the  corner  stores,  sitting  on 
boxes,  whittling  sticks,  and  telling  stories  as  funny  as  they 
are  vulgar."  Here  I  interposed:  "  But  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  said  one  day  to  Mr.  Chesnut,  '  Lincoln  is  the  hard 
est  fellow  to  handle  I  have  ever  encountered  yet.'  '  Mr. 
Scott  is  from  California,  and  said  Lincoln  is  "an  utter 
American  specimen,  coarse,  rough,  and  strong;  a  good-na 
tured,  kind  creature;  as  pleasant-tempered  as  he  is  clev 
er,  and  if  this  country  can  be  joked  and  laughed  out  of 
its  rights  he  is  the  kind-hearted  fellow  to  do  it.  Now  if 
there  is  a  war  and  it  pinches  the  Yankee  pocket  instead  of 
filling  it- 
Here  a  shrill  voice  came  from  the  next  room  (which 
opened  upon  the  one  we  were  in  by  folding  doors  thrown 
wide  open)  and  said:  "  Yankees  are  no  more  mean  and 
stingy  than  you  are.  People  at  the  North  are  just  as  good 
as  people  at  the  South."  The  speaker  advanced  upon  us 
in  great  wrath. 

Mrs,.  Scott  apologized  and  made  some  smooth,  polite  re 
mark,  though  evidently  much  embarrassed.  But  the  vine 
gar  face  and  curly  pate  refused  to  receive  any  concessions, 
and  replied :  * '  That  comes  with  a  very  bad  grace  after  what 
you  were  saying, ' '  and  she  harangued  us  loudly  for  several 
minutes.  Some  one  in  the  other  room  giggled  outright, 
but  we  were  quiet  as  mice.  Nobody  wanted  to  hurt  her 
feelings.  She  was  one  against  so  many.  If  I  were  at  the 

19 


Feb.  19,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  March  13,  1861 

North,  I  should  expect  them  to  belabor  us,  and  should  hold 
my  tongue.  We  separated  North  from  South  because  of  in 
compatibility  of  temper.  We  are  divorced  because  we 
have  hated  each  other  so.  If  we  could  only  separate,  a 
"  separation  a  I'agreable,"  as  the  French  say  it,  and  not 
have  a  horrid  fight  for  divorce. 

The  poor  exile  had  already  been  insulted,  she  said. 
She  was  playing  "  Yankee  Doodle  "  on  the  piano  before 
breakfast  to  soothe  her  wounded  spirit,  and  the  Judge  came 
in  and  calmly  requested  her  to  "  leave  out  the  Yankee 
while  she  played  the  Doodle."  The  Yankee  end  of  it  did 
not  suit  our  climate,  he  said;  was  totally  out  of  place  and 
had  got  out  of  its  latitude. 

A  man  said  aloud :  ' '  This  war  talk  is  nothing.  It  will 
soon  blow  over.  Only  a  fuss  gotten  up  by  that  Charleston 
clique."  Mr.  Toombs  asked  him  to  show  his  passports,  for 
a  man  who  uses  such  language  is  a  suspicious  character. 


20 


Ill 

CHARLESTON,    S.    C. 
March  26,  1861— Apn7  15,  1861 

HARLESTON,  S.  C.,  March  26,  1861.— I  have  just 
come  from  Mulberry,  where  the  snow  was  a  foot 
deep — winter  at  last  after  months  of  apparently 
May  or  June  weather.  Even  the  climate,  like  everything 
else,  is  upside  down.  But  after  that  den  of  dirt  and  hor 
ror,  Montgomery  Hall,  how  white  the  sheets  looked,  luxu 
rious  bed  linen  once  more,  delicious  fresh  cream  with  my 
coffee !  I  breakfasted  in  bed. 

Dueling  was  rife  in  Camden.  William  M.  Shannon  chal 
lenged  Leitner.  Rochelle  Blair  was  Shannon's  second  and 
Artemus  Goodwyn  was  Leitner 's.  My  husband  was  rid 
ing  hard  all  day  to  stop  the  foolish  people.  Mr.  Chesnut 
finally  arranged  the  difficulty.  There  was  a  court  of  honor 
and  no  duel.  Mr.  Leitner  had  struck  Mr.  Shannon  at  a 
negro  trial.  That's  the  way  the  row  began.  Everybody 
knows  of  it.  We  suggested  that  Judge  Withers  should  ar 
rest  the  belligerents.  Dr.  Boykin  and  Joe  Kershaw  l  aided 
Mr.  Chesnut  to  put  an  end  to  the  useless  risk  of  life. 
-  John  Chesnut  is  a  pretty  soft-hearted  slave-owner.  He 
had  two  negroes  arrested  for  selling  whisky  to  his  people 
on  his  plantation,  and  buying  stolen  corn  from  them.  The 
culprits  in  jail  sent  for  him.  He  found  them  (this  snowy 

1  Joseph  B.  Kershaw,  a  native  of  Camden,  S.  C.,  who  became  fa 
mous  in  connection  with  "The  Kershaw  Brigade"  and  its  brilliant 
record  at  Bull  Run,  Fredericksburg,  Chickamauga,  Spottsylvania,  and 
elsewhere  throughout  the  war. 

21 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

weather)  lying  in  the  cold  on  a  bare  floor,  and  he  thought 
that  punishment  enough;  they  having  had  weeks  of  it. 
But  they  were  not  satisfied  to  be  allowed  to  evade  justice 
and  slip  away.  They  begged  of  him  (and  got)  five  dollars 
to  buy  shoes  to  run  away  in.  I  said :  ' '  Why,  this  is  flat 
compounding  a  felony. ' '  And  Johnny  put  his  hands  in  the 
armholes  of  his  waistcoat  and  stalked  majestically  before 
me,  saying,  '  *  Woman,  what  do  you  know  about  law  ?  ' : 

Mrs.  Reynolds  stopped  the  carriage  one  day  to  tell  me 
Kitty  Boykin  was  to  be  married  to  Savage  Heyward.  He 
has  only  ten  children  already.  These  people  take  the  old 
Hebrew  pride  in  the  number  of  children  they  have.  This 
is  the  true  colonizing  spirit.  There  is  no  danger  of  crowd 
ing  here  and  inhabitants  are  wanted.  Old  Colonel  Ches- 
nut 1  said  one  day :  '  *  Wife,  you  must  feel  that  you  have 
not  been  useless  in  your  day  and  generation.  You  have 
now  twenty-seven  great-grandchildren." 

Wednesday. — I  have  been  mobbed  by  my  own  house  ser 
vants.  Some  of  them  are  at  the  plantation,  some  hired  out 
at  the  Camden  hotel,  some  are  at  Mulberry.  They  agreed 
to  come  in  a  body  and  beg  me  to  stay  at  home  to  keep  my 
own  house  once  more,  "  as  I  ought  not  to  have  them  scat- 
-  tered  and  distributed  every  which  way."  I  had  not  been 
a  month  in  Camden  since  1858.  So  a  house  there  would  be 
for  their  benefit  solely,  not  mine.  I  asked  my  cook  if  she 
lacked  anything  on  the  plantation  at  the  Hermitage. 
"  Lack  anything?  "  she  said,  "  I  lack  everything.  What 
are  corn-meal,  bacon,  milk,  and  molasses?  Would  that  be 

1  Colonel  Chesnut,  the  author's  father-in-law,  was  born  about  1760. 
He  was  a  prominent  South  Carolina  planter  and  a  public-spirited  man. 
The  family  had  originally  settled  in  Virginia,  where  the  farm  had  been 
overrun  by  the  French  and  Indians  at  the  time  of  Braddock's  cam 
paign,  the  head  of  the  family  being  killed  at  Fort  Duquesne.  Colonel 
Chesnut,  of  Mulberry,  had  been  educated  at  Princeton,  and  his  wife  was 
a  Philadelphia  woman.  In  the  final  chapter  of  this  Diary,  the  author 
gives  a  charming  sketch  of  Colonel  Chesnut. 

22 


MULBERRY 


all  you  wanted?  Ain't  I  been  living  and  eating  exactly 
as  you  does  all  these  years  ?  When  I  cook  for  you,  didn  't  I 
have  some  of  all  ?  Dere,  now !  ' '  Then  she  doubled  herself 
up  laughing.  They  all  shouted,  "  Missis,  we  is  crazy  for 
you  to  stay  home." 

Armsted,  my  butler,  said  he  hated  the  hotel.  Besides, 
he  heard  a  man  there  abusing  Marster,  but  Mr.  Clyburne 
took  it  up  and  made  him  stop  short.  Armsted  said  he 
wanted  Marster  to  know  Mr.  Clyburne  was  his  friend  and 
would  let  nobody  say  a  word  behind  his  back  against  him, 
etc.,  etc.  Stay  in  Camden?  Not  if  I  can  help  it.  "Festers 
in  provincial  sloth  ' '  — that 's  Tennyson 's  way  of  putting  it. 

"  We  "  came  down  here  by  rail,  as  the  English  say. 
Such  a  crowd  of  Convention  men  on  board.  John  Man 
ning  *  flew  in  to  beg  me  to  reserve  a  seat  by  me  for  a  young 
lady  under  his  charge.  "  Place  aux  dames,"  said  my  hus 
band  politely,  and  went  off  to  seek  a  seat  somewhere  else. 
As  soon  as  we  were  fairly  under  way,  Governor  Manning 
came  back  and  threw  himself  cheerily  down  into  the  vacant 
place.  After  arranging  his  umbrella  and  overcoat  to  his 
satisfaction,  he  coolly  remarked :  * '  I  am  the  young  lady. ' ' 
He  is  always  the  handsomest  man  alive  (now  that  poor 
William  Taber  has  been  killed  in  a  duel),  and  he  can  be 
very  agreeable ;  that  is,  when  he  pleases  to  be  so.  He  does 
not  always  please.  He  seemed  to  have  made  his  little 
maneuver  principally  to  warn  me  of  impending  danger  to 
my  husband's  political  career.  "  Every  election  now  will 
be  a  surprise.  New  cliques  are  not  formed  yet.  The  old 
ones  are  principally  bent  upon  displacing  one  another." 
"But  the  Yankees— those  dreadful  Yankees!"  "Oh, 

1  John  Lawrence  Manning  was  a  son  of  Richard  I.  Manning,  a  for 
mer  Governor  of  South  Carolina.  He  was  himself  elected  Governor  of 
that  State  in  1852,  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention  that  nominated 
Buchanan,  and  during  the  War  of  Secession  served  on  the  staff  of  General 
Beauregard.  In  1805  he  was  chosen  United  States  Senator  from  South 
Carolina,  but  was  not  allowed  to  take  his  seat. 

23 


March  tt>,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  April  15,  1861 


How  will  you  like  to  rusticate! — go  back  and  mind  your 
own  business?  "    "  If  I  only  knew 


never  mind,  we  are  going  to  take  care  of  home  folks  first! 

jticate! — go  back  and  mind  your 
only  knew  what  that  was — what 
was  my  own  business." 

Our  round  table  consists  of  the  Judge,  Langdon 
Cheves,1  Trescott,2  and  ourselves.  Here  are  four  of  the 
cleverest  men  that  we  have,  but  such  very  different  people, 
as  opposite  in  every  characteristic  as  the  four  points  of 
the  compass.  Langdon  Cheves  and  my  husband  have  feel 
ings  and  ideas  in  common.  Mr.  Petigru3  said  of  the  brill 
iant  Trescott:  "  He  is  a  man  without  indignation."  Tres 
cott  and  I  laugh  at  everything. 

The  Judge,  from  his  life  as  solicitor,  and  then  on  the 
bench,  has  learned  to  look  for  the  darkest  motives  for  every 
action.  His  judgment  on  men  and  things  is  always  so 
harsh,  it  shocks  and  repels  even  his  best  friends.  To-day 
he  said:  "  Your  conversation  reminds  me  of  a  flashy  sec 
ond-rate  novel."  "  How?  "  "  By  the  quantity  of  French 
you  sprinkle  over  it.  Do  you  wish  to  prevent  us  from  un 
derstanding  you?  '  "  No,"  said  Trescott,  "  we  are  using 
French  against  Africa.  We  know  the  black  waiters  are  all 
ears  now,  and  we  want  to  keep  what  we  have  to  say  dark. 


1  Son  of  Langdon  Cheves,  an  eminent  lawyer  of  South  Carolina,  who 
served  in  Congress  from  1810  to  1814;  he  was  elected  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  from  1819  to  1823  was  President  of  the 
United  States  Bank;   he  favored  Secession,  but  died  before  it  was  ac 
complished — in  1857. 

2  William  Henry  Trescott,  a  native  of  Charleston,  was  Assistant 
Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States  in  1860,  but  resigned  after  South 
Carolina  seceded.     After  the  war  he  had  a  successful  career  as  a  lawyer 
and  diplomatist. 

3  James  Louis  Petigru  before  the  war  had  reached  great  distinction 
as  a  lawyer  and  stood  almost  alone  in  his  State  as  an  opponent  of  the 
Nullification  movement  of  1830-1832.     In  1860  he  strongly  opposed 
disunion,  although  he  was  then  an  old  man  of  71.     His  reputation  has 
survived  among  lawyers  because  of  the  fine  work  he  did  in  codifying 
the  laws  of  South  Carolina. 

24 


SOME    CLEVER    MEN 


We  can't  afford  to  take  them  into  our  confidence,  you 
know. ' ' 

This  explanation  Trescott  gave  with  great  rapidity  and 
many  gestures  toward  the  men  standing  behind  us.  Still 
speaking  the  French  language,  his  apology  was  exasperat 
ing,  so  the  Judge  glared  at  him,  and,  in  unabated  rage, 
turned  to  talk  with  Mr.  Cheves,  who  found  it  hard  to  keep 
a  calm  countenance. 

On  the  Battery  with  the  Rutledges,  Captain  Hartstein 
was  introduced  to  me.  He  has  done  some  heroic  things — 
brought  home  some  ships  and  is  a  man  of  mark.  After 
ward  he  sent  me  a  beautiful  bouquet,  not  half  so  beautiful, 
however,  as  Mr.  Robert  Gourdin's,  which  already  occupied 
the  place  of  honor  on  my  center  table.  What  a  dear,  de 
lightful  place  is  Charleston ! 

A  lady  (who  shall  be  nameless  because  of  her  story) 
came  to  see  me  to-day.  Her  husband  has  been  on  the  Island 
with  the  troops  for  months.  She  has  just  been  down  to  see 
him.  She  meant  only  to  call  on  him,  but  he  persuaded  her 
to  stay  two  days.  She  carried  him  some  clothes  made  from 
his  old  measure.  Now  they  are  a  mile  too  wide.  **  So 
much  for  a  hard  life!  "  I  said. 

"  No,  no,"  said  she,  "  they  are  all  jolly  down  there. 
He  has  trained  down ;  says  it  is  good  for  him,  and  he  likes 
the  life."  Then  she  became  confidential,  although  it  was 
her  first  visit  to  me,  a  perfect  stranger.  She  had  taken 
no  clothes  down  there — pushed,  as  she  was,  in  that  manner 
under  Achilles 's  tent.  But  she  managed  things;  she  tied 
her  petticoat  around  her  neck  for  a  nightgown. 

April  2d. — Governor  Manning  came  to  breakfast  at 
our  table.  The  others  had  breakfasted  hours  before.  I 
looked  at  him  in  amazement,  as  he  was  in  full  dress,  ready 
for  a  ball,  swallow-tail  and  all,  and  at  that  hour.  "  What 
is  the  matter  with  you?  "  "  Nothing,  I  am  not  mad,  most 
noble  madam.  I  am  only  going  to  the  photographer.  My 
wife  wants  me  taken  tluis. ' '  He  insisted  on  my  going,  too, 

25 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

and  we  captured  Mr.  Chesnut  and  Governor  Means.1  The 
latter  presented  me  with  a  book,  a  photo-book,  in  which  I 
am  to  pillory  all  the  celebrities.  • 

Doctor  Gibbes  says  the  Convention  is  in  a  snarl.  It  was 
called  as  a  Secession  Convention.  A  secession  of  places 
seems  to  be  what  it  calls  for  first  of  all.  It  has  not  stretched 
its  eyes  out  to  the  Yankees  yet ;  it  has  them  turned  inward ; 
introspection  is  its  occupation  still. 

Last  night,  as  I  turned  down  the  gas,  I  said  to  myself: 
"Certainly  this  has  been  one  of  the  pleasantest  days  of  my 
life. ' '  I  can  only  give  the  skeleton  of  it,  so  many  pleasant 
people,  so  much  good  talk,  for,  after  all,  it  was  talk,  talk, 
talk  a  la  Caroline  du  Sud.  And  yet  the  day  began  rather 
dismally.  Mrs.  Capers  and  Mrs.  Tom  Middleton  came  for 
me  and  we  drove  to  Magnolia  Cemetery.  I  saw  William 
Taber's  broken  column.  It  was  hard  to  shake  off  the 
blues  after  this  graveyard  business. 

The  others  were  off  at  a  dinner  party.  I  dined  tete-a- 
tete  with  Langdon  Cheves,  so  quiet,  so  intelligent,  so  very 
sensible  withal.  There  never  was  a  pleasanter  person,  or  a 
better  man  than  he.  While  we  were  at  table,  Judge  Whit- 
ner,  Tom  Frost,  and  Isaac  Hayne  came.  They  broke  up 
our  deeply  interesting  conversation,  for  I  was  hearing 
what  an  honest  and  brave  man  feared  for  his  country,  and 
then  the  Rutledges  dislodged  the  newcomers  and  bore  me 
off  to  drive  on  the  Battery.  On  the  staircase  met  Mrs. 
Izard,  who  came  for  the  same  purpose.  On  the  Battery 
Governor  Adams  2  stopped  us.  He  had  heard  of  my  say 
ing  he  looked  like  Marshal  Pelissier,  and  he  came  to  say 

1  John  Hugh  Means  was  elected  Governor  of  South  Carolina  in  1850, 
and  had  long  been  an  advocate  of  secession.     He  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Convention  of  1860  and  affixed  his  name  to  the  Ordinance  of  Secession. 
He  was  killed  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  in  August,  1862. 

2  James  H.  Adams  was  a  graduate  of  Yale,  who  in  1832  strongly 
opposed  Nullification,  and  in  1855  was  elected  Governor  of  South  Caro 
lina. 

26 


GLOOM   IN    WASHINGTON 


that  at  last  I  had  made  a  personal  remark  which  pleased 
him,  for  once  in  my  life.  When  we  came  home  Mrs.  Isaac 
Hayne  and  Chancellor  Carroll  called  to  ask  us  to  join 
their  excursion  to  the  Island  Forts  to-morrow.  With  them 
was  William  Haskell.  Last  summer  at  the  White  Sulphur 
he  was  a  pale,  slim  student  from  the  university.  To-day 
he  is  a  soldier,  stout  and  robust.  A  few  months  in  camp, 
with  soldiering  in  the  open  air,  has  worked  this  wonder. 
Camping  out  proves  a  wholesome  life  after  all.  Then  came 
those  nice,  sweet,  fresh,  pure-looking  Pringle  girls.  We 
had  a  charming  topic  in  common — their  clever  brother 
Edward. 

A  letter  from  Eliza  B.,  who  is  in  Montgomery:  "  Mrs. 
Mallory  got  a  letter  from  a  lady  in  Washington  a  few  days 
ago,  who  said  that  there  had  recently  been  several  attempts 
to  be  gay  in  Washington,  but  they  proved  dismal  failures. 
The  Black  Kepublicans  were  invited  and  came,  and  stared 
at  their  entertainers  and  their  new  Republican  companions, 
looked  unhappy  while  they  said  they  were  enchanted, 
showed  no  ill-temper  at  the  hardly  stifled  grumbling  and 
growling  of  our  friends,  who  thus  found  themselves  con 
demned  to  meet  their  despised  enemy. ' ' 

I  had  a  letter  from  the  Gwinns  to-day.  They  say  Wash 
ington  offers  a  perfect  realization  of  Goldsmith's  Deserted 
Village. 

Celebrated  my  38th  birthday,  but  I  am  too  old  now  to 
dwell  in  public  on  that  unimportant  anniversary.  A  long, 
dusty  day  ahead  on  those  windy  islands;  never  for  me,  so 
I  was  up  early  to  write  a  note  of  excuse  to  Chancellor  Car 
roll.  My  husband  went.  I  hope  Anderson  will  not  pay 
them  the  compliment  of  a  salute  with  shotted  guns,  as  they 
pass  Fort  Sumter,  as  pass  they  must. 

Here  I  am  interrupted  by  an  exquisite  bouquet  from  the 

Rutledges.     Are  there   such  roses  anywhere  else  in  the 

world?    Now  a  loud  banging  at  my  door.    I  get  up  in  a 

pet  and  throw  it  wide  open.    "  Oh !  "  said  John  Manning, 

4  27 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

standing  there,  smiling  radiantly;  "  pray  excuse  the  noise 
I  made.  I  mistook  the  number;.!  thought  it  was  Rice's 
room ;  that  is  my  excuse.  Now  that  I  am  here,  come,  go 
with  us  to  Quinby's.  Everybody  will  be  there  who  are 
not  at  the  Island.  To  be  photographed  is  the  rage  just 
now. ' ' 

We  had  a  nice  open  carriage,  and  we  made  a  number 
of  calls,  Mrs.  Izard,  the  Pringles,  and  the  Tradd  Street  Rut- 
ledges,  the  handsome  ex-Governor  doing  the  honors  gal 
lantly.  He  had  ordered  dinner  at  six,  and  we  dined  tete-a- 
tete.  If  he  should  prove  as  great  a  captain  in  ordering  his 
line  of  battle  as  he  is  in  ordering  a  dinner,  it  will  be  as  well 
for  the  country  as  it  was  for  me  to-day. 

Fortunately  for  the  men,  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Joe  Hey- 
ward  sits  at  the  next  table,  so  they  take  her  beauty  as  one 
of  the  goods  the  gods  provide.  And  it  helps  to  make  life 
pleasant  with  English  grouse  and  venison  from  the  West. 
Not  to  speak  of  the  salmon  from  the  lakes  which  began 
the  feast.  They  have  me  to  listen,  an  appreciative  audience, 
while  they  talk,  and  Mrs.  Joe  Heyward  to  look  at. 

Beauregard  *  called.  He  is  the  hero  of  the  hour.  That 
is,  he  is  believed  to  be  capable  of  great  things.  A  hero 
worshiper  was  struck  dumb  because  I  said:  "  So  far,  he 
has  only  been  a  captain  of  artillery,  or  engineers,  or  some 
thing."  I  did  not  see  him.  Mrs.  Wigfall  did  and  re 
proached  my  laziness  in  not  coming  out. 

Last  Sunday  at  church  beheld  one  of  the  peculiar  local 
sights,  old  negro  maumas  going  up  to  the  communion,  in 
their  white  turbans  and  kneeling  devoutly  around  the 
chancel  rail. 

1  Pierre  Gustave  Toutant  Beauregard  was  born  in  New  Orleans  in 
1818,  and  graduated  from  West  Point  in  the  class  of  1838.  He  served 
in  the  war  with  Mexico;  had  been  superintendent  of  the  Military  Acad 
emy  at  West  Point  a  few  days  only,  when  in  February,  1861,  he  resigned 
his  commission  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States  and  offered  his  services 
to  the  Confederacy. 

28 


ELEVENTH-HOUR   MEN 


The  morning  papers  say  Mr.  Chesnut  made  the  best 
shot  on  the  Island  at  target  practice.  No  war  yet,  thank 
God.  Likewise  they  tell  me  Mr.  Chesnut  has  made  a  capital 
speech  in  the  Convention. 

Not  one  word  of  what  is  going  on  now.  "  Out  of  the 
fulness  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh,"  says  the  Psalm 
ist.  Not  so  here.  Our  hearts  are  in  doleful  dumps,  but  we 
are  as  gay,  as  madly  jolly,  as  sailors  who  break  into  the 
strong-room  when  the  ship  is  going  down.  At  first  in  our  * 
great  agony  we  were  out  alone.  We  longed  for  some  of 
our  big  brothers  to  come  out  and  help  us.  Well,  they  are 
out,  too,  and  now  it  is  Fort  Sumter  and  that  ill-advised 
Anderson.  There  stands  Fort  Sumter,  en  evidence,  and 
thereby  hangs  peace  or  war. 

Wigfall x  says  before  he  left  Washington,  Pickens,  our 
Governor,  and  Trescott  were  openly  against  secession; 
Trescott  does  not  pretend  to  like  it  now.  He  grumbles  all 
the  time,  but  Governor  Pickens  is  fire-eater  down  to  the 
ground.  "  At  the  White  House  Mrs.  Davis  wore  a  badge. 
Jeff  Davis  is  no  seceder, "  says  Mrs.  Wigfall. 

Captain  Ingraham  comments  in  his  rapid  way,  words 
tumbling  over  each  other  out  of  his  mouth:  "  Now,  Char 
lotte  Wigfall  meant  that  as  a  fling  at  those  people.  I  think 
better  of  men  who  stop  to  think;  it  is  too  rash  to  rush  on 
as  some  do."  "  And  so,"  adds  Mrs.  Wigfall,  "  the  elev 
enth-hour  men  are  rewarded;  the  half-hearted  are  traitors 
in  this  row. ' ' 

April  3d. — Met  the  lovely  Lucy  Holcombe,  now  Mrs. 
Governor  Pickens,  last  night  at  Isaac  Hayne's.  I  saw  Miles 
now  begging  in  dumb  show  for  three  violets  she  had  in  her 

1  Louis  Trezevant  Wigfall  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  but 
removed  to  Texas  after  being  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  from  that  State 
was  elected  United  States  Senator,  becoming  an  uncompromising  de 
fender  of  the  South  on  the  slave  question.  After  the  war  he  lived  in 
England,  but  in  1873  settled  in  Baltimore.  He  had  a  wide  Southern 
reputation  as  a  forcible  and  impassioned  speaker. 

29 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

breastpin.  She  is  a  consummate  actress  and  he  well  up  in 
the  part  of  male  flirt.  So  it  was  well  done. 

"  And  you,  who  are  laughing  in  your  sleeves  at  the 
scene,  where  did  you  get  that  huge  bunch?  ':  "  Oh,  there 
is  no  sentiment  when  there  is  a  pile  like  that  of  any 
thing!  "  "  Oh,  oh!  " 

To-day  at  the  breakfast  table  there  was  a  tragic  be 
stowal  of  heartsease  on  the  well-known  inquirer  who,  once 
more  says  in  austere  tones :  ' '  Who  is  the  flirt  now  ?  ' ' 
And  so  we  fool  on  into  the  black  cloud  ahead  of  us.  And 
after  heartsease  cometh  rue. 

April  4th. — Mr.  Hayne  said  his  wife  moaned  over  the 
hardness  of  the  chaperon es*  seats  at  St.  Andrew's  Hall  at 
a  Cecilia  Ball.1  She  was  hopelessly  deposited  on  one  for 
hours.  '  *  And  the  walls  are  harder,  my  dear.  What  are  your 
feelings  to  those  of  the  poor  old  fellows  leaning  there,  with 
their  beautiful  young  wives  waltzing  as  if  they  could  never 
tire  and  in  the  arms  of  every  man  in  the  room.  Watch 
their  haggard,  weary  faces,  the  old  boys,  you  know.  At 
church  I  had  to  move  my  pew.  The  lovely  Laura  was  too 
much  for  my  boys.  They  all  made  eyes  at  her,  and  nudged 
each  other  and  quarreled  so,  for  she  gave  them  glance  for 
glance.  Wink,  blink,  and  snicker  as  they  would,  she  liked 
it.  I  say,  my  dear,  the  old  husbands  have  not  exactly  a 
bed  of  roses;  their  wives  twirling  in  the  arms  of  young 
men,  they  hugging  the  wall. ' ' 

While  we  were  at  supper  at  the  Haynes's,  Wigfall  was 
sent  for  to  address  a  crowd  before  the  Mills  House  piazza. 
Like  James  Fitz  James  when  he  visits  Glen  Alpin  again, 
it  is  to  be  in  the  saddle,  etc.  So  let  Washington  beware. 
We  were  sad  that  we  could  not  hear  the  speaking.  But  the 


1  The  annual  balls  of  the  St.  Cecilia  Society  in  Charleston  are  still 
the  social  events  of  the  season.  To  become  a  member  of  the  St.  Cecilia 
Society  is  a  sort  of  presentation  at  court  in  the  sense  of  giving  social 
recognition  to  one  who  was  without  the  pale. 

30 


BEAUREGARD 


supper  was  a  consolation — pate  de  foie  gras  salad,  biscuit 
glace  and  champagne  frappe. 

A  ship  was  fired  into  yesterday,  and  went  back  to  sea. 
Is  that  the  first  shot?  How  can  one  settle  down  to  any 
thing  ;  one 's  heart  is  in  one 's  mouth  all  the  time.  Any  mo 
ment  the  cannon  may  open  on  us,  the  fleet  come  in. 

April  6th. — The  plot  thickens,  the  air  is  red  hot  with 
rumors;  the  mystery  is  to  find  out  where  these  utterly 
groundless  tales  originate.  In  spite  of  all,  Tom  Huger 
came  for  us  and  we  went  on  the  Planter  to  take  a  look 
at  Morris  Island  and  its  present  inhabitants — Mrs.  Wigf all 
and  the  Cheves  girls,  Maxcy  Gregg  and  Colonel  Whiting, 
also  John  Rutledge,  of  the  Navy,  Dan  Hamilton,  and  Will 
iam  Haskell.  John  Rutledge  was  a  figurehead  to  be  proud 
of.  He  did  not  speak  to  us.  But  he  stood  with  a  Scotch 
shawl  draped  about  him,  as  handsome  and  stately  a  crea 
ture  as  ever  Queen  Elizabeth  loved  to  look  upon. 

There  came  up  such  a  wind  we  could  not  land.  I  was 
not  too  sorry,  though  it  blew  so  hard  (I  am  never  seasick). 
Colonel  Whiting  explained  everything  about  the  forts,  what 
they  lacked,  etc.,  in  the  most  interesting  way,  and  Maxcy 
Gregg  supplemented  his  report  by  stating  all  the  deficien 
cies  and  shortcomings  by  land. 

Beauregard  is  a  demigod  here  to  most  of  the  natives, 
but  there  are  always  seers  who  see  and  say.  They  give 
you  to  understand  that  Whiting  has  all  the  brains  now  in 
use  for  our  defense.  He  does  the  work  and  Beauregard 
reaps  the  glory.  Things  seem  to  draw  near  a  crisis.  And 
one  must  think.  Colonel  Whiting  is  clever  enough  for 
anything,  so  we  made  up  our  minds  to-day,  Maxcy  Gregg 
and  I,  as  judges.  Mr.  Gregg  told  me  that  my  husband  was 
in  a  minority  in  the  Convention;  so  much  for  cool  sense 
when  the  atmosphere  is  phosphorescent.  Mrs.  Wigfall  says 
we  are  mismatched.  She  should  pair  with  my  cool,  quiet, 
self-poised  Colonel.  And  her  stormy  petrel  is  but  a  male 
reflection  of  me. 

31 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

April  8th. — Yesterday  Mrs.  Wigfall  and  I  made  a  few 
visits.  At  the  first  house  they  wanted  Mrs.  Wigfall  to  set 
tle  a  dispute.  "  Was  she,  indeed,  fifty-five?  "  Fancy  her 
face,  more  than  ten  years  bestowed  upon  her  so  freely. 
Then  Mrs.  Gibbes  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  been  in  Charles 
ton  before.  Says  Charlotte  Wigfall  (to  pay  me  for  my 
snigger  when  that  false  fifty  was  flung  in  her  teeth),  "  and 
she  thinks  this  is  her  native  heath  and  her  name  is  Mc 
Gregor."  She  said  it  all  came  upon  us  for  breaking  the 
Sabbath,  for  indeed  it  was  Sunday. 

Allen  Green  came  up  to  speak  to  me  at  dinner,  in  all  his 
soldier's  toggery.  It  sent  a  shiver  through  me.  Tried  to 
read  Margaret  Fuller  Ossoli,  but  could  not.  The  air  is 

full  of  war  news,  and  we  are  all  so  restless. 

Went  to  see  Miss  Pinckney,  one  of  the  last  of  the  old- 
world  Pinckneys.  She  inquired  particularly  about  a  por 
trait  of  her  father,  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,1  which 
she  said  had  been  sent  by  him  to  my  husband's  grand 
father.  I  gave  a  good  account  of  it.  It  hangs  in  the  place 
of  honor  in  the  drawing-room  at  Mulberry.  She  wanted 
to  see  my  husband,  for  "  his  grandfather,  my  father's 
friend,  was  one  of  the  handsomest  men  of  his  day."  We 
came  home,  and  soon  Mr.  Robert  Gourdin  and  Mr.  Miles 
called.  Governor  Manning  walked  in,  bowed  gravely,  and 
seated  himself  by  me.  Again  he  bowed  low  in  mock  heroic 
style,  and  with  a  grand  wave  of  his  hand,  said:  "  Madame, 
your  country  is  invaded."  When  I  had  breath  to  speak, 
I  asked,  "  What  does  he  mean?  "  He  meant  this:  there 

1  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney  was  a  brigadier-general  in  the  Revo 
lution  and  a  member  of  the  Convention  that  framed  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States.  He  was  an  ardent  Federalist  and  twice  declined 
to  enter  a  National  Cabinet,  but  in  1796  accepted  the  office  of  United 
States  Minister  to  France.  He  was  the  Federalist  candidate  for  Vice- 
President  in  1800  and  for  President  in  1804  and  1808.  Other  distin 
guished  men  in  this  family  were  Thomas,  Charles,  Henry  Laurens,  and 
Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  the  second. 

32 


"A   SOUND   OF   REVELRY   BY   NIGHT11 

are  six  men-of-war  outside  the  bar.  Talbot  and  Chew  have 
come  to  say  that  hostilities  are  to  begin.  Governor  Pickens 
and  Beauregard  are  holding  a  council  of  war.  Mr.  Chesnut 
then  came  in  and  confirmed  the  story.  Wigfall  next  en 
tered  in  boisterous  spirits,  and  said:  "  There  was  a  sound 
of  revelry  by  night."  In  any  stir  or  confusion  my  heart 
is  apt  to  beat  so  painfully.  Now  the  agony  was  so  stifling 
I  could  hardly  see  or  hear.  The  men  went  off  almost  imme 
diately.  And  I  crept  silently  to  my  room,  where  I  sat 
down  to  a  good  cry. 

Mrs.  Wigfall  came  in  and  we  had  it  out  on  the  subject 
of  civil  war.  We  solaced  ourselves  with  dwelling  on  all  its 
known  horrors,  and  then  we  added  what  we  had  a  right 
to  expect  with  Yankees  in  front  and  negroes  in  the  rear. 
"  The  slave-owners  must  expect  a  servile  insurrection,  of 
course,"  said  Mrs.  Wigfall,  to  make  sure  that  we  were  un 
happy  enough. 

Suddenly  loud  shouting  was  heard.  We  ran  out.  Can 
non  after  cannon  roared.  We  met  Mrs.  Allen  Green  in 
the  passageway  with  blanched  cheeks  and  streaming  eyes. 
Governor  Means  rushed  out  of  his  room  in  his  dressing- 
gown  and  begged  us  to  be  calm.  "  Governor  Pickens," 
said  he,  "  has  ordered  in  the  plenitude  of  his  wisdom,  . 
seven  cannon  to  be  fired  as  a  signal  to  the  Seventh  Regi 
ment.  Anderson  will  hear  as  well  as  the  Seventh  Regi 
ment.  Now  you  go  back  and  be  quiet;  fighting  in  the 
streets  has  not  begun  yet. ' ' 

So  we  retired.  Dr.  Gibbes  calls  Mrs.  Allen  Green  Dame 
Placid.  There  was  no  placidity  to-day,  with  cannon  burst 
ing  and  Allen  on  the  Island.  No  sleep  for  anybody  last 
night.  The  streets  were  alive  with  soldiers,  men  shouting, 
marching,  singing.  Wigfall,  the  "  stormy  petrel,"  is  in 
his  glory,  the  only  thoroughly  happy  person  I  see.  To-day 
things  seem  to  have  settled  down  a  little.  One  can  but 
hope  still.  Lincoln,  or  Seward,  has  made  such  silly  ad 
vances  and  then  far  sillier  drawings  back.  There  may  be  a 

33 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

chance  for  peace  after  all.  Things  are  happening  so  fast. 
My  husband  has  been  made  an  aide-de-camp  to  General 
Beauregard. 

Three  hours  ago  we  were  quickly  packing  to  go  home. 
The  Convention  has  adjourned.  Now  he  tells  me  the  attack 
on  Fort  Sumter  may  begin  to-night ;  depends  upon  Ander 
son  and  the  fleet  outside.  The  Herald  says  that  this  show 
of  war  outside  of  the  bar  is  intended  for  Texas.  John  Man 
ning  came  in  with  his  sword  and  red  sash,  pleased  as  a  boy 
to  be  on  Beauregard 's  staff,  while  the  row  goes  on.  He 
has  gone  with  Wigfall  to  Captain  Hartstein  with  instruc 
tions.  Mr.  Chesnut  is  finishing  a  report  he  had  to  make 
to  the  Convention. 

Mrs.  Hayne  called.  She  had,  she  said,  but  one  feeling; 
pity  for  those  who  are  not  here.  Jack  Preston,  Willie 
Alston,  '  *  the  take-lif  e-easys, ' '  as  they  are  called,  with  John 
Green,  "  the  big  brave,"  have  gone  down  to  the  islands — 
volunteered  as  privates.  Seven  hundred  men  were  sent 
over.  Ammunition  wagons  were  rumbling  along  the  streets 
all  night.  Anderson  is  burning  blue  lights,  signs,  and  sig 
nals  for  the  fleet  outside,  I  suppose. 

To-day  at  dinner  there  was  no  allusion  to  things  as  they 
stand  in  Charleston  Harbor.  There  was  an  undercurrent 
of  intense  excitement.  There  could  not  have  been  a  more 
brilliant  circle.  In  addition  to  our  usual  quartette  (Judge 
Withers,  Langdon  Cheves,  and  Trescott),  our  two  ex-Gov 
ernors  dined  with  us,  Means  and  Manning.  These  men  all 
talked  so  delightfully.  For  once  in  my  life  I  listened. 
That  over,  business  began  in  earnest.  Governor  Means  had 
rummaged  a  sword  and  red  sash  from  somewhere  and 
brought  it  for  Colonel  Chesnut,  who  had  gone  to  demand 
the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter.  And  now  patience — we 
must  wait. 

Why  did  that  green  goose  Anderson  go  into  Fort  Sum 
ter?  Then  everything  began  to  go  wrong.  Now  they  have 
intercepted  a  letter  from  him  urging  them  to  let  him  sur- 

34 


ANDERSON'S   REFUSAL 


render.  He  paints  the  horrors  likely  to  ensue  if  they  will 
not.  He  ought  to  have  thought  of  all  that  before  he  put 
his  head  in  the  hole. 

April  12th. — Anderson  will  not  capitulate.  Yesterday's 
was  the  merriest,  maddest  dinner  we  have  had  yet.  Men 
were  audaciously  wise  and  witty.  We  had  an  unspoken 
foreboding  that  it  was  to  be  our  last  pleasant  meeting. 
Mr.  Miles  dined  with  us  to-day.  Mrs.  Henry  King  rushed 
in  saying,  *  *  The  news,  I  come  for  the  latest  news.  All  the 
men  of  the  King  family  are  on  the  Island, ' '  of  which  fact 
she  seemed  proud. 

While  she  was  here  our  peace  negotiator,  or  envoy, 
came  in — that  is,  Mr.  Chesnut  returned.  His  interview 
with  Colonel  Anderson  had  been  deeply  interesting,  but 
Mr.  Chesnut  was  not  inclined  to  be  communicative.  He 
wanted  his  dinner.  He  felt  for  Anderson  and  had  tele 
graphed  to  President  Davis  for  instructions — what  answer 
to  give  Anderson,  etc.  He  has  now  gone  back  to  Fort  Sum- 
ter  with  additional  instructions.  When  they  were  about  to 
leave  the  wharf  A.  H.  Boykin  sprang  into  the  boat  in  great 
excitement.  He  thought  himself  ill-used,  with  a  likelihood 
of  fighting  and  he  to  be  left  behind ! 

I  do  not  pretend  to  go  to  sleep.  How  can  1 1  If  Ander 
son  does  not  accept  terms  at  four,  the  orders  are,  he  shall  be 
fired  upon.  I  count  four,  St.  Michael's  bells  chime  out  and 
I  begin  to  hope.  At  half -past  four  the  heavy  booming  of  a 
cannon.  I  sprang  out  of  bed,  and  on  my  knees  prostrate  I 
prayed  as  I  never  prayed  before. 

There  was  a  sound  of  stir  all  over  the  house,  pattering 
of  feet  in  the  corridors.  All  seemed  hurrying  one  way. 
I  put  on  my  double-gown  and  a  shawl  and  went,  too.  It 
was  to  the  housetop.  The  shells  were  bursting.  In  the 
dark  I  heard  a  man  say,  ' '  Waste  of  ammunition. ' '  I  knew 
my  husband  was  rowing  about  in  a  boat  somewhere  in  that 
dark  bay,  and  that  the  shells  were  roofing  it  over,  burst 
ing  toward  the  fort.  If  Anderson  was  obstinate,  Colonel 

35 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

Chesnut  was  to  order  the  fort  on  one  side  to  open  fire. 
Certainly  fire  had  begun.  The  regular  roar  of  the  cannon, 
there  it  was.  And  who  could  tell  what  each  volley  accom 
plished  of  death  and  destruction  ? 

^  The  women  were  wild  there  on  the  housetop.  Prayers 
came  from  the  women  and  imprecations  from  the  men. 
And  then  a  shell  would  light  up  the  scene.  To-night  they 
say  the  forces  are  to  attempt  to  land.  We  watched  up 
there,  and  everybody  wondered  that  Fort  Sumter  did  not 
fire  a  shot. 

To-day  Miles  and  Manning,  colonels  now,  aides  to 
Beauregard,  dined  with  us.  The  latter  hoped  I  would  keep 
the  peace.  I  gave  him  only  good  words,  for  he  was  to  be 
under  fire  all  day  and  night,  down  in  the  bay  carrying 
orders,  etc. 

Last  night,  or  this  morning  truly,  up  on  the  housetop 
I  was  so  weak  and  weary  I  sat  down  on  something  that 
looked  like  a  black  stool.  "  Get  up,  you  foolish  woman. 
Your  dress  is  on  fire,"  cried  a  man.  And  he  put  me  out. 
I  was  on  a  chimney  and  the  sparks  had  caught  my  clothes. 
Susan  Preston  and  Mr.  Venable  then  came  up.  But  my 
fire  had  been  extinguished  before  it  burst  out  into  a  regular 
blaze. 

Do  you  know,  after  all  that  noise  and  our  tears  and 
prayers,  nobody  has  been  hurt ;  sound  and  fury  signifying 
nothing — a  delusion  and  a  snare. 

Louisa  Hamilton  came  here  now.  This  is  a  sort  of  news 
center.  Jack  Hamilton,  her  handsome  young  husband,  has 
all  the  credit  of  a  famous  battery,  which  is  made  of  rail 
road  iron.  Mr.  Petigru  calls  it  the  boomerang,  because  it 
throws  the  balls  back  the  way  they  came ;  so  Lou  Hamilton 
tells  us.  During  her  first  marriage,  she  had  no  children; 
hence  the  value  of  this  lately  achieved  baby.  To  divert 
Louisa  from  the  glories  of  "  the  Battery,"  of  which  she 
raves,  we  asked  if  the  baby  could  talk  yet.  "  No,  not 
exactly,  but  he  imitates  the  big  gun  when  he  hears  that. 

36 


FORT   SUMTER   BOMBARDED 


He  claps  his  hands  and  cries  '  Boom,  boom.'  '  Her  mind 
is  distinctly  occupied  by  three  things:  Lieutenant  Hamil 
ton,  whom  she  calls  "  Randolph,"  the  baby,  and  the  big 
gun,  and  it  refuses  to  hold  more. 

Pryor,  of  Virginia,  spoke  from  the  piazza  of  the  Charles 
ton  hotel.  I  asked  what  he  said.  An  irreverent  woman  re 
plied:  "  Oh,  they  all  say  the  same  thing,  but  he  made 
great  play  with  that  long  hair  of  his,  which  he  is  always 
tossing  aside !  ' : 

Somebody  came  in  just  now  and  reported  Colonel  Ches- 
nut  asleep  on  the  sofa  in  General  Beauregard's  room. 
After  two  such  nights  he  must  be  so  tired  as  to  be  able 
to  sleep  anywhere. 

Just  bade  farewell  to  Langdon  Cheves.  He  is  forced  to 
go  home  and  leave  this  interesting  place.  Says  he  feels 
like  the  man  that  was  not  killed  at  Thermopylae.  I  think 
he  said  that  unfortunate  had  to  hang  himself  when  he  got 
home  for  very  shame.  Maybe  he  fell  on  his  sword,  which 
was  the  strictly  classic  way  of  ending  matters. 

I  do  not  wonder  at  Louisa  Hamilton's  baby;  we  hear 
nothing,  can  listen  to  nothing;  boom,  boom  goes  the  can 
non  all  the  time.  The  nervous  strain  is  awful,  alonS  in  this 
darkened  room.  "  Richmond  and  Washington  ablaze," 
say  the  papers — blazing  with  excitement.  Why  not?  To 
us  these  last  days'  events  seem  frightfully  great.  We 
were  all  women  on  that  iron  balcony.  Men  are  only  seen 
at  a  distance  now.  Stark  Means,  marching  under  the  piazza 
at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  held  his  cap  in  his  hand  all 
the  time  he  was  in  sight.  Mrs.  Means  was  leaning  over  and 
looking  with  tearful  eyes,  when  an  unknown  creature 
asked,  "  Why  did  he  take  his  hat  off  ?  "  Mrs.  Means  stood 
straight  up  and  said :  "  He  did  that  in  honor  of  his  mother ; 
he  saw  me. ' '  She  is  a  proud  mother,  and  at  the  same  time 
most  unhappy.  Her  lovely  daughter  Emma  is  dying  in 
there,  before  her  eyes,  of  consumption.  At  that  moment 
I  am  sure  Mrs.  Means  had  a  spasm  of  the  heart;  at  least, 

37 


March  26,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

she  looked  as  I  feel  sometimes.     She  took  my  arm  and  we 
came  in. 

April  13th. — Nobody  has  been  hurt  after  all.  How  gay 
we  were  last  night.  Eeaction  after  the  dread  of  all  the 
slaughter  we  thought  those  dreadful  cannon  were  making. 
Not  even  a  battery  the  worse  for  wear.  Fort  Sumter  has 
been  on  fire.  Anderson  has  not  yet  silenced  any  of  our 
guns.  So  the  aides,  still  with  swords  and  red  sashes  by 
way  of  uniform,  tell  us.  But  the  sound  of  those  guns 
makes  regular  meals  impossible.  None  of  us  go  to  'table. 
Tea-trays  pervade  the  corridors  going  everywhere.  Some 
of  the  anxious  hearts  lie  on  their  beds  and  moan  in  solitary 
misery.  Mrs.  Wigfall  and  I  solace  ourselves  with  tea  in 
my  room.  These  women  have  all  a  satisfying  faith.  £ '  God 
is  on  our  side,"  they  say.  When  we  are  shut  in  Mrs.  Wig- 
fall  and  I  ask  "  Why?  "  "  Of  course,  He  hates  the  Yan 
kees,  we  are  told.  You'll  think  that  well  of  Him." 

Not  by  one  word  or  look  can  we  detect  any  change  in 
the  demeanor  of  these  negro  servants.  Lawrence  sits  at 
our  door,  sleepy  and  respectful,  and  profoundly  indiffer 
ent.  So  are  they  all,  but  they  carry  it  too  far.  You  could 
not  tell  that  they  even  heard  the  awful  roar  going  on  in 
the  bay,  though  it  has  been  dinning  in  their  ears  night  and 
day.  People  talk  before  them  as  if  they  were  chairs  and 
tables.  They  make  no  sign.  Are  they  stolidly  stupid  ?  or . 
wiser  than  we  are ;  silent  and  strong,  biding  their  time  ? 

So  tea  and  toast  came;  also  came  Colonel  Manning,  red 
sash  and  sword,  to  announce  that  he  had  been  under  fire, 
and  didn't  mind  it.  He  said  gaily:  "  It  is  one  of  those 
things  a  fellow  never  knows  how  he  will  come  out  until  he 
has  been  tried.  Now  I  know  I  am  a  worthy  descendant  of 
my  old  Irish  hero  of  an  ancestor,  who  held  the  British  offi 
cer  before  him  as  a  shield  in  the  Revolution,  and  backed 
out  of  danger  gracefully."  We  talked  of  St.  Valentine's 
eve,  or  the  maid  of  Perth,  and  the  drop  of  the  white  doe's 
blood  that  sometimes  spoiled  all. 

38 


SURRENDER   OF  THE   FORT 


The  war-steamers  are  still  there,  outside  the  bar.  And 
there  are  people  who  thought  the  Charleston  bar  "  no 
good  "  to  Charleston.  The  bar  is  the  silent  partner,  or 
sleeping  partner,  and  in  this  fray  it  is  doing  us  yeoman 
service. 

April  15th. — I  did  not  know  that  one  could  live  such 
days  of  excitement.  Some  one  called :  * '  Come  out !  There 
is  a  crowd  coming."  A  mob  it  was,  indeed,  but  it  was 
headed  by  Colonels  Chesnut  and  Manning.  The  crowd  was 
shouting  and  showing  these  two  as  messengers  of  good 
news.  They  were  escorted  to  Beauregard's  headquarters. 
Sort  SumtfT  had  nnrrrmrJorod •'  Those  upon  the  housetops 
shouted  to  us  "  The  fort  is  on  fire."  That  had  been  the 
story  once  or  twice  before. 

When  we  had  calmed  down,  Colonel  Chesout.  who  had 
taken  it  all  quietly  enough,  if  anything  more  unruffled 
than  usual  in  his  serenity,  tolcLusJlQJg  -the  suriwi  rj  pr  r»a  ™  p_ 
about.  Wigfall  was  with  them  on  Morris  Island  when  they 
saw  the  fire  in  the  fort;  he  jumped  in  a  little  boat,  and 
with  his  handkerchief  as  a  white  flag,  rowed  over.  Wig- 
fall  went  in  through  a  porthole.  When  Colonel  Chesnut 
arrived  shortly  after,  and  was  received  at  the  regular  en 
trance,  Colonel  Anderson  told  him  he  had  need  to  pick  his 
way  warily,  for  the  place  was  all  mined.  As  far  as  I  can 
make  out  the  fort  surrendered  to  Wigfall.  But  it  is  all  con 
fusion.  Our  flag  is  flying  there.  Fire-engines  have  been 
sent  for  to  put  out  the  fire.  Everybody  tells  you  half  of 
something  and  then  rushes  off  to  tell  something  else  or  to 
hear  the  last  news. 

In  the  afternoon,  Mrs.^Pjeston/  Mrs*.... Joe-  Heyward, 
and  I  drove  around  the  Battery.  We  were  in  an  open  car- 


1  Caroline  Hampton,  a  daughter  of  General  Wade  Hampton,  of  the 
Revolution,  was  the  wife  of  John  S.  Preston,  an  ardent  advocate  of 
secession,  who  served  on  the  staff  of  Beauregard  at  Bull  Run  and 
subsequently  reached  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 

39 


March  26,  18G1  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  April  15,  1861 

riage.  ^What  a  changed  scene — the  very  liveliest  crowd  I 
think  I  ever  saw,  everybody  talking  at  once.  All  glasses 
were  still  turned  on  the  grim  old  fort. 

Russell,1  the  correspondent  of  the  London  Times,  was 
there.  They  took  him  everywhere.  One  man  got  out 
Thackeray  to  converse  with  him  on  equal  terms.  Poor 
Russell  was  awfully  bored,  they  say.  He  only  wanted 
to  see  the  fort  and  to  get  news  suitable  to  make  up  into 
an  interesting  article.  Thackeray  had  become  stale  over 
the  water. 

Mrs. Frank  Hampton2  and  I  went  to  see  the  camp  of  the 
Richland  troops.  South  Carolina  College  had  volunteered 
to  a  boy.  Professor  Venable  (the  mathematical) ,  intends  to 
raise  a  company  from  among  them  for  the  war,  a  perma 
nent  company.  This  is  a  grand  frolic  no  more  for  the  stu 
dents,  at  least.  Even  the  staid  and  severe  of  aspect,  C  ling- 
man,  is  here.  He  says  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  are 
arming  to  come  to  our  rescue,  for  now  the  North  will 
swoop  down  on  us.  Of  that  we  may  be  sure.  We  have 
burned  our  ships.  We  are  obliged  to  go  on  now.  He  calls 
us  a  poor,  little,  hot-blooded,  headlong,  rash,  and  trouble 
some  sister  State.  General  McQueen  is  in  a  rage  because 
we  are  to  send  troops  to  Virginia. 

Preston  Hampton  is  in  all  the  flush  of  his  youth  and 
beauty,  six  feet  in  stature ;  and  after  all  only  in  his  teens ; 
he  appeared  in  fine  clothes  and  lemon-colored  kid  gloves  to 
grace  the  scene.  The  camp  in  a  fit  of  horse-play  seized  him 
and  rubbed  him  in  the  mud.  He  fought  manfully,  but  took 
it  all  naturally  as  a  good  joke. 

1  William  Howard  Russell,  a  native  of  Dublin,  who  served  as  a  cor 
respondent  of  the  London  Times  during  the  Crimean  War,  the  Indian 
Mutiny,  the  War  of  Secession  and  the  Franco-German  War.    He  has 
been  familiarly  known  as  "Bull  Run  Russell."     In  1875  he  was  hon 
orary  Secretary  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  during  the  Prince's  visit  to  India. 

2  The  "  Sally  Baxter"  of  the  recently  published  "  Thackeray  Letters 
to  an  American  Family." 

40 


BULL   RUN    RUSSELL 


Mrs.  Prank  Hampton  knows  already  what  civil  war 
means.  Her  brother  was  in  the  New  York  Seventh  Regi 
ment,  so  roughly  received  in  Baltimore.  Frank  will  be  in 
the  opposite  camp. 

Good  stories  there  may  be  and  to  spare  for  Russell,  the 
man  of  the  London  Times,  who  has  come  over  here  to  find 
out  our  weakness  and  our  strength  and  to  tell  all  the  rest 
of  the  world  about  us. 


41 


IV 

CAMDEN,    S.    C. 

April  20,  1861—  April  23,  1861 

AMDEN,  S.  C.,  April  20,  1861.— Home  .again  at  Mul 
berry.  In  those  last  days  of  my  stay  in  Charleston 
I  did  not  find  time  to  write  a  word. 

And  so  wo  took  Fort  Sumter,  nous  autres ;  we — Mrs. 
Frank  Hampton,  and  others — in  the  passageway  of  the 
Mills  House  between  the  reception-room  and  the  drawing- 
room,  for  there  we  held  a  sofa  against  all  comers.  All  the 
agreeable  people  South  seemed  to  have  flocked  to  Charles 
ton  at  the  first  gun.  That  was  after  we  had  found  out  that 
bombarding  did  not  kill  anybody.  Before  that,  we  wept 
and  prayed  and  took  our  tea  in  groups  in  our  rooms,  away 
from  the  haunts  of  men. 

Captain  Ingraham  and  his  kind  also  took  Fort  Sumter 
— from  the  Battery  with  field-glasses  and  figures  made  with 
their  sticks  in  the  sand  to  show  what  ought  to  be  done. 

Wigfall,  Chesnut,  Miles,  Manning,  took  it  rowing  about 
the  harbor  in  small  boats  from  fort  to  fort  under  the 
enemy's  guns,  with  bombs  bursting  in  air. 

And  then  the  boys  and  men  who  worked  those  guns  so 
faithfully  at  the  forts — they  took  it,  too,  in  their  own  way. 

Old  Colonel  Beaufort  Watts  told  me  this  story  and 
many  more  of  the  jeunesse  doree  under  fire.  They  took  the 
fire  easily,  as  they  do  most  things.  They  had  cotton  bag 
bomb-proofs  at  Fort  Moultrie,  and  when  Anderson's  shot 
knocked  them  about  some  one  called  out  "  Cotton  is  fall 
ing."  Then  down  went  the  kitchen  chimney,  loaves  of 

42 


OLD   COLONEL   BEAUFORT    WAITS 

bread  flew  out,  and  they  cheered  gaily,  shouting,  "  Bread- 
stuffs  are  rising." 

Willie  Preston  fired  the  shot  which  broke  Anderson's 
flag-staff.  Mrs.  Hampton  from  Columbia  telegraphed  him, 
' '  Well  done,  Willie !  ' !  She  is  his  grandmother,  the  wife, 
or  widow,  of  General  Hampton,  of  the  Revolution,  and  the 
mildest,  sweetest,  gentlest  of  old  ladies.  This  shows  how 
the  war  spirit  is  waking  us  all  up. 

Colonel  Miles  (who  won  his  spurs  in  a  boat,  so  William 
Gilmore  Simms  J  said)  gave  us  this  characteristic  anecdote. 
They  met  a  negro  out  in  the  bay  rowing  toward  the  city 
with  some  plantation  supplies,  etc.  "  Are  you  not  afraid 
of  Colonel  Anderson's  cannon?  "  he  was  asked.  '  No, 
sar,  Mars  Anderson  ain  't  daresn  't  hit  me ;  he  know  Marster 
wouldn't  'low  it." 

I  have  been  sitting  idly  to-day  looking  out  upon  this 
beautiful  lawn,  wondering  if  this  can  be  the  same  world 
I  was  in  a  few  days  ago.  After  the  smoke  and  the  din  of 
the  battle,  a  calm. 

April  22d. — Arranging  my  photograph  book.  On  the 
first  page,  Colonel  Watts.  Here  goes  a  sketch  of  his  life; 
romantic  enough,  surely:  Beaufort  Watts;  bluest  blood; 
gentleman  to  the  tips  of  his  fingers;  chivalry  incarnate. 
He  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  large  amount  of  money,  in 
bank  bills.  The  money  belonged  to  the  State  and  he  was 
to  deposit  it  in  the  bank.  On  the  way  he  was  obliged  to 
stay  over  one  night.  He  put  the  roll  on  a  table  at  his  bed 
side,  locked  himself  in,  and  slept  the  sleep  of  the  righteous. 
Lo,  next  day  when  he  awaked,  the  money  was  gone.  Well ! 
all  who  knew  him  believed  him  innocent,  of  course.  He 
searched  and  they  searched,  high  and  low,  but  to  no  pur 
pose.  The  money  had  vanished.  It  was  a  damaging  story, 


1  William    Gilmore    Simms,   the    Southern    novelist,  was  born  in 
Charleston  in  1806.     He  was  the  author  of  a  great  many  volumes  deal 
ing  with  Southern  life,  and  at  one  time  they  were  widely  read. 
5  43 


April  20,  1861  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  April  23,  1861 

in  spite  of  his  previous  character,  and  a  cloud  rested  on 
him. 

Years  afterward  the  house*  in  which  he  had  taken 
that  disastrous  sleep  was  pulled  down.  In  the  wall,  behind 
the  wainscot,  was  found  his  pile  of  money.  How  the  rats 
got  it  through  so  narrow  a  crack  it  seemed  hard  to  realize. 
Like  the  hole  mentioned  by  Mercutio,  it  was  not  as  deep  as 
a  well  nor  as  wide  as  a  church  door,  but  it  did  for  Beaufort 
Watts  until  the  money  was  found.  Suppose  that  house  had 
been  burned,  or  the  rats  had  gnawed  up  the  bills  past 
recognition  ? 

People  in  power  understood  how  this  proud  man  suf 
fered  those  many  years  in  silence.  Many  men  looked 
askance  at  him.  The  country  tried  to  repair  the  work  of 
blasting  the  man's  character.  He  was  made  Secretary  of 
Legation  to  Russia,  and  was  afterward  our  Consul  at 
Santa  Fe  de  Bogota.  When  he  was  too  old  to  wander  far 
afield,  they  made  him  Secretary  to  all  the  Governors  of 
South  Carolina  in  regular  succession. 

I  knew  him  more  than  twenty  years  ago  as  Secretary 
to  the  Governor.  He  was  a  made-up  old  battered  dandy, 
the  soul  of  honor.  His  eccentricities  were  all  humored. 
Misfortune  had  made  him  sacred.  He  stood  hat  in  hand 
before  ladies  and  bowed  as  I  suppose  Sir  Charles  Grandi- 
son  might  have  done.  It  was  hard  not  to  laugh  at  the  pur 
ple  and  green  shades  of  his  overblack  hair.  He  came  at 
one  time  to  show  me  the  sword  presented  to  Colonel  Shel- 
ton  for  killing  the  only  Indian  who  was  killed  in  the  Semi- 
nole  war.  We  bagged  Osceola  and  Micanopy  under  a  flag 
of  truce — that  is,  they  were  snared,  not  shot  on  the  wing. 

To  go  back  to  my  knight-errant :  he  knelt,  handed  me  the 
sword,  and  then  kissed  my  hand.  I  was  barely  sixteen  and 
did  not  know  how  to  behave  under  the  circumstances.  He 
said,  leaning  on  the  sword,  "  My  dear  child,  learn  that  it  is 
a  much  greater  liberty  to  shake  hands  with  a  lady  than  to 
kiss  her  hand.  I  have  kissed  the  Empress  of  Russia's  hand 

44 


MARIA    WHIT  AKER'S    TWINS 


and  she  did  not  make  faces  at  me."  He  looks  now  just  as 
he  did  then.  He  is  in  uniform,  covered  with  epaulettes, 
aigulettes,  etc.,  shining  in  the  sun,  and  with  his  plumed  hat 
reins  up  his  war-steed  and  bows  low  as  ever. 

Now  I  will  bid  farewell  for  a  while  as  Othello  did  to  all 
the  ' '  pomp,  pride,  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war, ' '  and 
come  down  to  my  domestic  strifes  and  troubles.  I  have  a 
sort  of  volunteer  maid,  the  daughter  of  my  husband's 
nurse,  dear  old  Betsy.  She  waits  on  me  because  she  so 
pleases.  Besides,  I  pay  her.  She  belongs  to  my  father-in- 
law,  who  has  too  many  slaves  to  care  very  much  about  their 
way  of  life.  So  Maria  Whitaker  came,  all  in  tears.  She 
brushes  hair  delightfully,  and  as  she  stood  at  my  back  I 
could  see  her  face  in  the  glass.  "  Maria,  are  you  crying 
because  all  this  war  talk  scares  you?  "  said  I.  *  No, 
ma'am."  "  What  is  the  matter  with  you?  "  "  Nothing 
more  than  common."  "  Now  listen.  Let  the  war  end 
either  way  and  you  will  be  free.  We  will  have  to  free  you 
before  we  get  out  of  this  thing.  Won't  you  be  glad?  " 
"  Everybody  knows  Mars  Jeems  wants  us  free,  and  it  is 
only  old  Marster  holds  hard.  He  ain't  going  to  free  any 
body  any  way,  you  see. ' ' 

And  then  came  the  story  of  her  troubles.  "  Now, 
Miss  Mary,  you  see  me  married  to  Jeems  Whitaker  yourself. 
I  was  a  good  and  faithful  wife  to  him,  and  we  were  com 
fortable  every  way — good  house,  everything.  He  had  no 
cause  of  complaint,  but  he  has  left  me."  "  For  heaven's 
sake !  Why  ?  ' :  "  Because  I  had  twins.  He  says  they  are 
not  his  because  nobody  named  Whitaker  ever  had  twins." 

Maria  is  proud  in  her  way,  and  the  behavior  of  this  bad 
husband  has  nearly  mortified  her  to  death.  She  has  had 
three  children  in  two  years.  No  wonder  the  man  was 
frightened.  But  then  Maria  does  not  depend  on  him  for 
anything.  She  was  inconsolable,  and  I  could  find  nothing 
better  to  say  than,  "  Come,  now,  Maria !  Never  mind,  your 
old  Missis  and  Marster  are  so  good  to  you.  Now  let  us 

45 


April  20,  1861  CAMDEN,    S.     C.  April  23,  1861 

look  up  something  for  the  twins."  The  twins  are  named 
"  John  and  Jeems,"  the  latter  for  her  false  loon  of  a  hus 
band.  Maria  is  one  of  the  good  colored  women.  She  de 
served  a  better  fate  in  her  honest  matrimonial  attempt. 
But  they  do  say  she  has  a  trying  temper.  Jeems  was  tried, 
and  he  failed  to  stand  the  trial. 

April  23d. — Note  the  glaring  inconsistencies  of  life. 
Our  chatelaine  locked  up  Eugene  Sue,  and  returned  even 
Washington  Allston's  novel  with  thanks  and  a  decided 
hint  that  it  should  be  burned ;  at  least  it  should  not  remain 
in  her  house.  Bad  books  are  not  allowed  house  room,  except 
in  the  library  under  lock  and  key,  the  key  in  the  Master's 
pocket ;  but  bad  women,  if  they  are  not  white,  or  serve  in  a 
menial  capacity,  may  swarm  the  house  unmolested;  the 
ostrich  game  is  thought  a  Christian  act.  Such  women  are 
no  more  regarded  as  a  dangerous  contingent  than  canary 
birds  would  be. 

If  you  show  by  a  chance  remark  that  you  see  some  par 
ticular  creature,  more  shameless  than  the  rest,  has  no  end 
of  children,  and  no  beginning  of  a  husband,  you  are 
frowned  down;  you  are  talking  on  improper  subjects. 
There  are  certain  subjects  pure-minded  ladies  never  touch 
upon,  even  in  their  thoughts.  It  does  not  do  to  be  so  hard 
and  cruel.  It  is  best  to  let  the  sinners  alone,  poor  things. 
If  they  are  good  servants  otherwise,  do  not  dismiss  them; 
all  that  will  come  straight  as  they  grow  older,  and  it  does ! 
They  are  frantic,  one  and  all,  to  be  members  of  the  church. 
The  Methodist  Church  is  not  so  pure-minded  as  to  shut  its 
eyes ;  it  takes  them  up  and  turns  them  out  with  a  high  hand 
if  they  are  found  going  astray  as  to  any  of  the  ten  com 
mandments. 


46 


MONTGOMERY,    ALA. 
April  27,  1861— May  20,  1861 

ONTGOMERY,  Ala.,  April  27,  1861.— Here  we  are 
once  more.  Hon.  Robert  Barnwell  came  with  us.  His 
benevolent  spectacles  give  him  a  most  Pickwickian 
expression.  We  Carolinians  revere  his  goodness  above  all 
things.  Everywhere,  when  the  car  stopped,  the  people 
wanted  a  speech,  and  we  had  one  stream  of  fervid  oratory. 
We  came  along  with  a  man  whose  wife  lived  in  Washing 
ton.  He  was  bringing  her  to  Georgia  as  the  safest  place. 

The  Alabama  crowd  are  not  as  confident  of  taking 
Fort  Pickens  as  we  were  of  taking  Fort  Sumter. 

Baltimore  is  in  a  blaze.  They  say  Colonel  Ben  Huger 
is  in  command  there — son  of  the  ' '  Olmutz  ' '  Huger.  Gen 
eral  Robert  E.  Lee,  son  of  Light  Horse  Harry  Lee,  has  been 
made  General-in-Chief  of  Virginia.  With  such  men  to  the 
fore,  we  have  hope.  The  New  York  Herald  says,  ' '  Slavery 
must  be  extinguished,  if  in  blood. ' '  It  thinks  we  are  shak 
ing  in  our  shoes  at  their  great  mass  meetings.  We  are  jolly 
as  larks,  all  the  same. 

Mr.  Chesnut  has  gone  with  Wade  Hampton  *  to  see 
President  Davis  about  the  legion  Wade  wants  to  get  up. 

1  Wade  Hampton  was  a  son  of  another  Wade  Hampton,  who  was 
an  aide  to  General  Jackson  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  and  a  grandson 
of  still  another  Wade  Hampton,  who  was  a  general  in  the  Revolution. 
He  was  not  in  favor  of  secession,  but  when  the  war  began  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  and  then  raised  a  command  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery, 
which  as  "Hampton's  Legion"  won  distinction  in  the  war.  After  the 
war,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  South  Carolina  and  was  then  elected 
to  the  United  States  Senate. 

47 


April  27,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  May  20,  1861 

The  President  came  across  the  aisle  to  speak  to  me  at 
church  to-day.  He  was  very  cordial,  and  I  appreciated  the 
honor. 

Wigfall  is  black  with  rage  at  Colonel  Anderson's  ac 
count  of  the  fall  of  Sumter.  Wigfall  did  behave  magnani 
mously,  but  Anderson  does  not  seem  to  see  it  in  that  light. 
"  Catch  me  risking  my  life  to  save  him  again/'  says  Wig- 
fall.  "  He  might  have  been  man  enough  to  tell  the  truth 
to  those  New  Yorkers,  however  unpalatable  to  them  a  good 
word  for  us  might  have  been.  We  did  behave  well  to  him. 
The  only  men  of  his  killed,  he  killed  himself,  or  they  killed 
themselves  firing  a  salute  to  their  old  striped  rag. ' ' 

Mr.  Chesnut  was  delighted  with  the  way  Anderson  spoke 
to  him  when  he  went  to  demand  the  surrender.  They 
parted  quite  tenderly.  Anderson  said:  "  If  we  do  not 
meet  again  on  earth,  I  hope  we  may  meet  in  Heaven." 
How  Wigfall  laughed  at  Anderson  "  giving  Chesnut  a 
howdy  in  the  other  world !  ' : 

What  a  kind  welcome  the  old  gentlemen  gave  me !  One, 
more  affectionate  and  homely  than  the  others,  slapped  me 
on  the  back.  Several  bouquets  were  brought  me,  and  I  put 
them  in  water  around  my  plate.  Then  General  Owens 
gave  me  some  violets,  which  I  put  in  my  breastpin. 

11  Oh,"  said  my  "  Gutta  Percha  "  Hemphill,1  "  if  I 
had  known  how  those  bouquets  were  to  be  honored  I  would 
have  been  up  by  daylight  seeking  the  sweetest  flowers!  " 
Governor  Moore  came  in,  and  of  course  seats  were  offered 
him.  "  This  is  a  most  comfortable  chair/'  cried  an 
overly  polite  person.  "  The  most  comfortable  chair  is  be 
side  Mrs.  Chesnut,"  said  the  Governor,  facing  the  music 
gallantly,  as  he  sank  into  it  gracefully.  Well  done,  old 
fogies ! 

1  John  Hemphill  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  who  had  removed 
to  Texas,  where  he  became  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State,  and  in  1858  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 

48 


A    TALK   WITH    STEPHENS 


Browne  said:  "  These  Southern  men  have  an  awfully 
flattering  way  with  women. "  "  Oh,  so  many  are  descend 
ants  of  Irishmen,  and  so  the  blarney  remains  yet,  even,  and 
in  spite  of  their  gray  hairs !  ' :l  For  it  was  a  group  of  silver- 
gray  flatterers.  Yes,  blarney  as  well  as  bravery  came  in 
with  the  Irish. 

At  Mrs.  Davis 's  reception  dismal  news,  for  civil  war 
seems  certain.  At  Mrs.  Toombs's  reception  Mr.  Stephens 
came  by  me.  Twice  before  we  have  had  it  out  on  the  sub 
ject  of  ,this  Confederacy,  once  on  the  cars,  coming  from 
Georgia  here,  once  at  a  supper,  where  he  sat  next  to  me. 
To-day  he  was  not  cheerful  in  his  views.  I  called  him 
half-hearted,  and  accused  him  of  looking  back.  Man  after 
man  came  and  interrupted  the  conversation  with  some 
frivle-fravle,  but  we  held  on.  He  was  deeply  interesting, 
and  he  gave  me  some  new  ideas  as  to  our  dangerous  situa 
tion.  Fears  for  the  future  and  not  exultation  at  our  suc 
cesses  pervade  his  discourse. 

Dined  at  the  President's  and  never  had  a  pleasanter 
day.  He  is  as  witty  as  he  is  wise.  He  was  very  agreeable ; 
he  took  me  in  to  dinner.  The  talk  was  of  Washington ;  noth 
ing  of  our  present  difficulties. 

A  General  Anderson  from  Alexandria,  D.  C.,  was  in 
doleful  dumps.  He  says  the  North  are  so  much  better  pre 
pared  than  we  are.  They  are  organized,  or  will  be,  by 
General  Scott.  We  are  in  wild  confusion.  Their  army  is 
the  best  in  the  world.  We  are  wretchedly  armed,  etc.,  etc. 
They  have  ships  and  arms  that  were  ours  and  theirs. 

Mrs.  Walker,  resplendently  dressed,  one  of  those  gor 
geously  arrayed  persons  who  fairly  shine  in  the  sun,  tells 
me  she  mistook  the  inevitable  Morrow  for  Mr.  Chesnut,  and 
added,  ' '  Pass  over  the  affront  to  my  powers  of  selection. ' ' 
I  told  her  it  was  '  *  an  insult  to  the  Palmetto  flag. ' '  Think 
of  a  South  Carolina  Senator  like  that ! 

Men  come  rushing  in  from  Washington  with  white  lips, 
crying,  "  Danger,  danger!  "  It  is  very  tiresome  to  have 

49 


April  Vt,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  MayW,  1861 

these  people  always  harping  on  this:  "  The  enemy's 
troops  are  the  finest  body  of  men  we  ever  saw."  "  Why 
did  you  ,not  make  friends  of  them, ' '  I  feel  disposed  to  say. 
We  would  have  war,  and  now  w£  seem  to  be  letting  our 
golden  opportunity  pass;  we  are  not  preparing  for  war. 
There  is  talk,  .talk,  talk  in  that  Congress — lazy  legislators, 
and  rash,  reckless,  headlong,  devil-may-care,  proud,  passion 
ate,  unruly,  raw  material  for  soldiers.  They  say  we  have 
among  us  a  regiment  of  spies,  men  and  women,  sent  here 
by  the  wily  Seward.  Why?  Our  newspapers  tell  every 
word  there  is  to  be  told,  by  friend  or  foe. 

A  two-hours'  call  from  Hon.  Robert  Barnwell.  His 
theory  is,  all  would  have  been  right  if  we  had  taken  Fort 
Sumter  six  months  ago.  He  made  this  very  plain  to  me. 
He  is  clever,  if  erratic.  I  forget  why  it  ought  to  have  been 
attacked  before.  At  another  reception,  Mrs.  Davis  was  in 
fine  spirits.  Captain  Dacier  was  here.  Came  over  .in  his 
own  yacht.  Russell,  of  The  London  Times,  wondered  how 
we  had  the  heart  to  enjoy  life  so  .thoroughly  when  all  the 
Northern  papers  said  we  were  to  be  exterminated  in  such  a 
short  time. 

May  9th. — Virginia  Commissioners  here.  Mr.  Staples 
and  Mr.  Edmonston  came  to  see  me.  They  say  Virginia 
"  has  no  grievance;  she  comes  out  on  a  point  of  honor; 
could  she  stand  by  and  see  her  sovereign  sister  States  in 
vaded?" 

Sumter  ,Anderson  has  been  offered  a  Kentucky  regi 
ment.  Can  they  raise  a  regiment  in  Kentucky  against  us  ? 
In  Kentucky,  our  sister  State? 

Suddenly  General  Beauregard  and  his  aide  (the  last 
left  him  of  the  galaxy  who  surrounded  him  in  Charleston), 
John  Manning,  have  gone — Heaven  knows  where,  but  out 
on  a  war-path  certainly.  Governor  Manning  called  himself 
"  the  last  .rose  of  summer  left  blooming  alone  "  of  that 
fancy  staff.  A  new  fight  will  gather  them  again. 

Ben  McCulloch,  the  Texas  Ranger,  is  here,  and  Mr. 

50 


AN   OLD   MAN   AND    HIS   HOURIS 

Ward,1  my  "  Gutta  Percha  "  friend's  colleague  from 
Texas.  Senator  Ward  in  appearance  is  the  exact  opposite 
of  Senator  HemphiJl.  The  latter,  with  the  face  of  an  old 
man,  has  the  hair  of  a  boy  of  twenty.  Mr.  Ward  is  fresh 
and  fair,  with  blue  eyes  and  a  boyish  face,  but  his  head  is 
white  as  snow.  Whether  he  turned  it  white  in  a  single 
night  or  by  slower  process  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  strangely 
out  of  keeping  with  his  clear  young  eye.  He  is  thin,  and 
has  a  queer  stooping  figure. 

This  story  he  told  me  of  his  own  experience.  On  a 
Western  steamer  there  was  a  great  crowd  and  no  unoccu 
pied  berth,  or  sleeping  place  of  any  sort  whatsoever  in 
the  gentlemen's  cabin — saloon,  I  think  they  called  it.  He 
had  taken  a  stateroom,  110,  .but  he  could  not  eject  the  peo 
ple  who  had  already  seized  it  and  were  asleep  in  it.  Neither 
could  the  Captain.  It  would  have  been  a  .case  of  revolver 
or  * '  'leven  inch  Bowie-knife. ' ' 

Near  the  ladies'  saloon  the  steward  took  pity  on  him. 
"  This  man,"  said  he,  "  is  110,  and  I  can  find  no  place  for 
him,  poor  fellow."  There  was  a  peep  out  of  bright  eyes: 
1 '  I  say,  steward,  have  you  a  man  110  years  old  out  there  ? 
Let  us  see  him.  He  must  be  a  natural  curiosity."  "  We 
are  overcrowded,"  was  the  answer,  "  and  we  can't  find  a 
place  for  him  to  sleep."  "  Poor  old  soul;  bring  .him  in 
here.  We  will  take  care  of  him. ' ' 

"  Stoop  and  totter,"  sniggered  .the  steward  to  No.  110, 
* '  and  go  in. ' ' 

"  Ah,"  said  Mr.  Ward,  "  how  those  houris  patted  ,and 
pitied  me  and  hustled  me  about  and  gave  me  the  best  berth ! 
I  tried  not  to  look ;  I  knew  it  was  wrong,  but  I  looked.  I  saw 
them  undoing  their  back  hair  and  was  lost  in  amazement 


1  Matthias  Ward  was  a  native  of  Georgia,  but  had  removed  to  Texas 
in  1836.  He  was  twice  a  delegate  to  National  Democratic  Conventions, 
and  in  1858  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  from  Texas  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  holding  that  office  until  1860. 

51 


April  27,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  May  20,  1861 

at  the  collapse  when  the  huge  hoop-skirts  fell  off,  unheeded 
on  the  cabin  floor. ' ' 

One  beauty  who  was  disporting  herself  near  his  cur 
tain  suddenly  caught  his  eye.  She  stooped  and  gathered 
up  her  belongings  as  she  said:  "  I  say,  stewardess,  your 
old  hundred  and  ten  is  a  humbug.  His  eyes  are  too  blue 
for  anything,"  and  she  fled  as  he  shut  himself  in,  nearly 
frightened  to  death.  I  forget  how  it  ended.  There  was  so 
much  laughing  at  his  story  I  did  not  .hear  it  all.  So  much 
for  hoary  locks  and  their  reverence-inspiring  power ! 

Russell,  the  wandering  English  newspaper  correspond 
ent,  was  telling  how  very  odd  some  of  our  plantation  habits 
were.  He  was  staying  at  the  house  of  an  ex-Cabinet  Min 
ister,  and  Madame  would  stand  on  the  back  piazza  and 
send  her  voice  three  fields  off,  calling  a  servant.  Now  that 
is  not  a  Southern  peculiarity.  Our  women  are  soft,  and 
sweet,  low-toned,  indolent,  graceful,  quiescent.  I  dare  say 
there  are  bawling,  squalling,  vulgar  people  everywhere. 

May  }3th. — We  have  been  down  from  Montgomery  on 
the  boat  to  that  God-forsaken  landing,  Portland,  Ala. 
Found  everybody  drunk — that  is,  the  three  men  who  were 
there.  At  last  secured  a  carriage  to  carry  us  to  my  broth 
er-in-law 's  house.  Mr.  Chesnut  had  to  drive  seven  miles, 
pitch  dark,  over  an  unknown  road.  My  heart  was  in  my 
mouth,  which  last  I  did  not  open. 

Next  day  a  patriotic  person  informed  us  that,  so  great 
was  the  war  fever  only  six  men  could  be  found  in  Dallas 
County.  I  whispered  to  Mr.  Chesnut:  "  We  found  three 
of  the  lone  ones  hors  de  combat  at  Portland."  So  much 
for  the  corps  of  reserves — alcoholized  patriots. 

Saw  for  the  first  time  the  demoralization  produced  by 
hopes  of  freedom.  My  mother's  butler  (whom  I  taught 
to  read,  sitting  on  his  knife-board)  contrived  to  keep  from 
speaking  to  us.  He  was  as  .efficient  as  ever  in  his  proper 
place,  but  he  did  not  come  behind  the  scenes  as  usual  and 
have  a  friendly  chat.  Held  himself  aloof  so  grand  and 

52 


R.    M.    T.    HUNTER 


stately  we  had  to  send  him  a  '  *  tip  "  through  his  wife 
Hetty,  mother's  maid,  who,  however,  showed  no  signs  of 
disaffection.  She  came  to  my  bedside  next  morning  with 
everything  that  was  nice  for  breakfast.  She  had  let  me 
sleep  till  midday,  and  embraced  me  over  and  over  again. 
I  remarked :  ' '  What  a  capital  cook  they  have  here !  ' :  She 
curtsied  to  the  ground.  '  *  I  cooked  every  mouthful  on  that 
tray — as  if  I  did  not  know  what  you  liked  to  eat  since  you 
was  a  baby. ' ' 

May  19th. — Mrs.  Fitzpatrick  says  Mr.  Davis  is  too 
gloomy  for  her.  He  says  we  must  prepare  for  a  long  war 
and  unmerciful  reverses  at  first,  because  they  are  readier 
for  war  and  so  much  stronger  numerically.  Men  and 
money  count  so  in  war.  "  As  they  do  everywhere  else," 
said  I,  doubting  her  accurate  account  of  Mr.  Davis 's 
spoken  words,  though  she  tried  to  give  them  faithfully. 
We  need  patience  and  persistence.  There  is  enough  and  to 
spare  of  pluck  and  dash  among  us,  the  do-and-dare  style. 

I  drove  out  with  Mrs.  Davis.  She  finds  playing  Mrs. 
President  of  this  small  confederacy  slow  work,  after  leav 
ing  friends  such  as  Mrs.  Emory  and  Mrs.  Joe  Johnston  * 
in  Washington.  I  do  not  blame  her.  The  wrench  has  been 
awful  with  us  all,  but  we  don't  mean  to  be  turned  into 
pillars  of  salt. 

Mr.  Mallory  came  for  us  to  go  to  Mrs.  Toombs's  recep 
tion.  Mr.  Chesnut  would  not  go,  and  I  decided  to  remain 
with  him.  This  proved  a  wise  decision.  First  Mr.  Hunter  2 

1  Mrs.  Johnston  was  Lydia  McLane,  a  daughter  of  Louis  McLane, 
United  States  Senator  from  Delaware  from  1827  to  1829,  and  afterward 
Minister  to  England.     In  1831  he  became  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
and  in  1833  Secretary  of  State.     General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  grad 
uated  from  West  Point  in  1829  and  had  served  in  the  Black  Hawk, 
Seminole,  and   Mexican   Wars.     He   resigned   his   commission   in   the 
United  States  Army  on  April  22,  1861. 

2  Mr.  Hunter  was  a  Virginian.     He  had  long  served  in  Congress* 
was  twice  speaker  of  the  House,  and  in  1844  was  elected  a  United  States 

53 


April  27,  1861  MONTGOMERY,     ALA.  May  20,  1861 

came.  In  college  they  called  him  from  his  initials,  R. 
M.  T.,  "  Run  Mad  Tom  "  Hunter.  Just  now  I  think  he  is 
the  sanest,  if  not  the  wisest,  man  in  our  new-born  Confed 
eracy.  I  remember  when  I  first  met  him.  He  sat  next  to 
me  at  some  state  dinner  in  Washington.  Mr.  Clay  had 
taken  me  in  to  dinner,  but  seemed  quite  satisfied  that  my 
1 '  other  side  ' '  should  take  me  off  his  hands. 

Mr.  Hunter  did  not  know  me,  nor  I  him.  I  suppose  he 
inquired,  or  looked  at  my  card,  lying  on  the  table,  as  I 
looked  at  his.  At  any  rate,  we  began  a  conversation  which 
lasted  steadily  through  the  whole  thing  from  soup  to 
dessert.  Mr.  Hunter,  though  in  evening  dress,  presented  a 
rather  tumbled-up  appearance.  His  waistcoat  wanted  pull 
ing  down,  and  his  hair  wanted  brushing.  He  delivered  un 
consciously  that  day  a  lecture  on  English  literature  which, 
if  printed,  I  still  think  would  be  a  valuable  addition  to 
that  literature.  Since  then,  I  have  always  looked  forward 
to  a  talk  with  the  Senator  from  Virginia  with  undisguised 
pleasure.  Next  came  Mr.  Miles  and  Mr.  Jameson,  of 
South  Carolina.  The  latter  was  President  of  our  Secession 
Convention;  also  has  written  a  life  of  Du  Guesclin  that  is 
not  so  bad.  So  my  unexpected  reception  was  of  the  most 
charming.  Judge  Frost  came  a  little  later.  They  all  re 
mained  until  the  return  of  the  crowd  from  Mrs.  Toombs's. 

These  men  are  not  sanguine — I  can't  say,  without  hope, 
exactly.  They  are  agreed  in  one  thing:  it  is  worth  while 
to  try  a  while,  if  only  to  get  away  from  New  England. 
Captain  Ingraham  was  here,  too.  He  is  South  Carolina  to 
the  tips  of  his  fingers ;  yet  he  has  it  dyed  in  the  wool — it  is 
part  of  his  nature — to  believe  the  United  States  Navy  can 
whip  anything  in  the  world.  All  of  these  little  inconsisten 
cies  and  contrarieties  make  the  times  very  exciting.  One 


Senator,  serving  until  1861.  He  supported  slavery  and  became  active 
in  the  secession  movement.  At  the  Charleston  Convention  in  I860,  he 
received  the  next  highest  vote  to  Stephen  A.  Douglas  for  President. 

54 


AT   LUNCH    WITH    MRS.   DAVIS 

iiever  knows  what  tack  any  one  of  them  will  take  at  the 
next  word. 

May  20th. — LunchecLajJMrs.  Davis  ?s;  everything  nice 
to  eat,  and  I  was  ravenous.  For  a  fortnight  I  have  not 
even  gone  to  the  dinner  table.  Yesterday  I  was  forced  to 
dine  on  cold  asparagus  and  blackberries,  so  repulsive  in 
aspect  was  the  other  food  they  sent  me.  Mrs.  Davis  was 
as  nice  as  the  luncheon.  When  she  is  in  the  mood,  I  do  not 
know  so  pleasant  a  person.  She  is  awfully  clever,  always. 

We  talked  of  this  move  from  Montgomery.  Mr.  Ches- 
nut  opposes  it  violently,  because  this  is  so  central  a  posi 
tion  for  our  government.  He  wants  our  troops  sent  into 
Maryland  in  order  to  make  our  fight  on  the  border,  and  so 
to  encompass  Washington.  I  see  that  the  uncomfortable 
hotels  here  will  at  last  move  the  Congress.  Our  statesmen 
love  their  ease,  and  it  will  be  hot  here  in  summer.  "  I  do 
hope  they  will  go,"  Mrs.  Davis  said.  "  The  Yankees  will 
make  it  hot  for  us,  go  where  we  will,  and  truly  so  if  war 
comes."  "  And  it  has  come,"  said  I.  "  Yes,  I  fancy 
these  dainty  folks  may  live  to  regret  losing  even  the  fare 
of  the  Montgomery  hotels. "  "  Never. ' ' 

Mr.  Chesnut  has  three  distinct  manias.  The  Maryland 
scheme  is  one,  and  he  rushes  off  to  Jeff  Davis,  who,  I  dare 
say,  has  fifty  men  every  day  come  to  him  with  infallible 
plans  to  save  the  country.  If  only  he  can  keep  his  temper. 
Mrs.  Davis  says  he  answers  all  advisers  in  softly  modu 
lated,  dulcet  accents. 

What  a  rough  menagerie  we  have  here.  And  if  nice 
people  come  to  see  you,  up  walks  an  irate  Judge,  who  en 
grosses  the  conversation  and  abuses  the  friends  of  the  com 
pany  generally;  that  is,  abuses  everybody  and  prophesies 
every  possible  evil  to  the  country,  provided  he  finds  that 
denouncing  your  friends  does  not  sufficiently  depress  you. 
Everybody  has  manias — up  North,  too,  by  the  papers. 

But  of  Mr.  Chesnut 's  three  crazes :  Maryland  is  to  be 
made  the  seat  of  war,  old  Morrow's  idea  of  buying  up 

55 


April  27,  1861  MONTGOMERY,    ALA.  May  20,  1861 

steamers  abroad  for  our  coast  defenses  should  be  adopted, 
and,  last  of  all,  but  far  from  the  least,  we  must  make  much 
cotton  and  send  it  to  England  as  a  bank  to  draw  on.  The 
very  cotton  we  have  now,  if  sent  across  the  water,  would 
be  a  gold  mine  to  us. 


56 


VI 

CHARLESTON,    S.    C. 

May  25,  1861—  June  24,  1861 

HARLESTON,  S.  C.,  May  25,  1861.— We  have  come 
back  to  South  Carolina  from  the  Montgomery  Con 
gress,  stopping  over  at  Mulberry.  We  came  with 
R.  M.  T.  Hunter  and  Mr.  Barnwell.  Mr.  Barnwell  has  ex 
cellent  reasons  for  keeping  cotton  at  home,  but  I  forget 
what  they  are.  Generally,  people  take  what  he  says,  also 
Mr.  Hunter's  wisdom,  as  unanswerable.  Not  so  Mr.  Ches- 
nut,  who  growls  at  both,  much  as  he  likes  them.  We  also 
had  Tom  Lang  and  his  wife,  and  Doctor  Boykin.  Surely 
there  never  was  a  more  congenial  party.  The  younger  men 
had  been  in  the  South  Carolina  College  while  Mr.  Barnwell 
was  President.  Their  love  and  respect  for  him  were  im 
measurable  and  he  benignly  received  it,  smiling  behind 
those  spectacles. 

Met  John  Darby  at  Atlanta  and  told  him  he  was  Sur 
geon  of  the  Hampton  Legion,  which  delighted  him.  He 
had  had  adventures.  With  only  a  few  moments  on  the 
platform  to  interchange  confidences,  he  said  he  had  re 
mained  a  little  too  long  in  the  Medical  College  in  Philadel 
phia,  where  he  was  some  kind  of  a  professor,  and  they  had 
been  within  an  ace  of  hanging  him  as  a  Southern  spy. 
"  Rope  was  ready,"  he  sniggered.  At  Atlanta  when  he 
unguardedly  said  he  was  fresh  from  Philadelphia,  he  barely 
escaped  lynching,  being  taken  for  a  Northern  spy.  ' '  Lively 
life  I  am  having  among  you,  on  both  sides, ' '  he  said,  hurry 
ing  away.  And  I  moaned,  "  Here  was  John  Darby  like 

57 


May  25,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  June  24,  1861 

to  have  been  killed  by  both  sides,  and  no  time  to  tell  me 
the  curious  coincidences."  What  marvelous  experiences  a 
little  war  begins  to  produce. 

May  27th.— They  look  for  a  fight  at  Norfolk.  Beaure- 
gard  is  there.  I  think  if  I  were  a  man  I'd  be  there,  too. 
Also  Harper's  Ferry  is  to  be  attacked.  The  Confederate 
flag  has  been  cut  down  at  Alexandria  by  a  man  named  Ells 
worth,1  who  was  in  command  of  Zouaves.  Jackson  was  the 
name  of  the  person  who  shot  Ellsworth  in  the  act.  Sixty 
of  our  cavalry  have  been  taken  by  Sherman's  brigade. 
Deeper  and  deeper  we  go  in. 

Thirty  of  Tom  Boykin's  company  have  come  home  from 
Richmond.  They  went  as  a  rifle  company,  armed  with  mus 
kets.  They  were  sandhill  tackeys — those  fastidious  ones, 
not  very  anxious  to  fight  with  anything,  or  in  any  way, 
I  fancy.  Richmond  ladies  had  come  for  them  in  carriages, 
feted  them,  waved  handkerchiefs  to  them,  brought  them 
dainties  with  their  own  hands,  in  the  faith  that  every  Car 
olinian  was  a  gentleman,  and  every  man  south  of  Mason 
and  Dixon  's  line  a  hero.  But  these  are  not  exactly  descend 
ants  of  the  Scotch  Hay,  who  fought  the  Danes  with  his 
plowshare,  or  the  oxen's  yoke,  or  something  that  could 
hit  hard  and  that  came  handy. 

Johnny  has  gone  as  a  private  in  Gregg's  regiment.  He 
could  not  stand  it  at  home  any  longer.  Mr.  Chesnut  was 
willing  for  him  to  go,  because  those  sandhill  men  said 
"  this  was  a  rich  man's  war,"  and  the  rich  men  would  be 
the  officers  and  have  an  easy  time  and  the  poor  ones  would 

1  Ephraim  Elmer  Ellsworth  was  a  native  of  Saratoga  County,  New 
York.  In  1860  he  organized  a  regiment  of  Zouaves  and  became  its 
Colonel.  He  accompanied  Lincoln  to  Washington  in  1861  and  was  soon 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Alexandria,  where,  on  seeing  a  Confederate 
flag  floating  from  a  hotel,  he  personally  rushed  to  the  roof  and  tore  it 
down.  The  owner  of  the  hotel,  a  man  named  Jackson,  met  him  as  he 
was  descending  and  shot  him  dead.  Frank  E.  Brownell,  one  of  Ells 
worth's  men,  then  killed  Jackson. 

58 


A   GENTLEMAN    PRIVATE 


be  privates.  So  he  said:  "  Let  the  gentlemen  set  the  ex 
ample;  let  them  go  in  the  ranks."  So  John  Chesnut  is  a 
gentleman  private.  He  took  his  servant  with  him  all  the 
same. 

Johnny  reproved  me  for  saying,  "  If  I  were  a  man,  I 
would  not  sit  here  and  dole  and  drink  and  drivel  and  for 
get  the  fight  going  on  in  Virginia."  He  said  it  was  my 
duty  not  to  talk  so  rashly  and  make  enemies.  He  ' '  had  the 
money  in  his  pocket  to  raise  a  company  last  fall,  but  it  has 
slipped  through  his  fingers,  and  now  he  is  a  common  sol 
dier."  "  You  wasted  it  or  spent  it  foolishly,"  said  I. 
1 '  I  do  not  know  where  it  has  gone, ' '  said  he.  ' '  There  was 
too  much  consulting  over  me,  too  much  good  counsel  was 
given  to  me,  and  everybody  gave  me  different  advice." 
"  Don't  you  ever  know  your  own  mind?  "  "  We  will  do 
very  well  in  the  ranks ;  men  and  officers  all  alike ;  we  know 
everybody. ' ' 

So  I  repeated  Mrs.  Lowndes's  solemn  words  when  she 
heard  that  South  Carolina,  had  seceded  alone:  "  As  thy 
days  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  Don't  know  exactly  what 
I  meant,  but  thought  I  must  be  impressive  as  he  was  going 
away.  Saw  him  off  at  the  train.  Forgot  to  say  anj^thing 
there,  but  cried  my  eyes  out. 

Sent  Mrs.  Wigfall  a  telegram — "  Where  shrieks  the 
wild  sea-mew?  ':  She  answered:  "  Sea-mew  at  the  Spots- 
wood  Hotel.  Will  shriek  soon.  I  will  remain  here. ' ' 

June  6th. — Davin!  Have  had  a  talk  concerning  him 
to-day  with  two  opposite  extremes  of  people. 

Mrs.  Chesnut,  my  mother-in-law,  praises  everybody, 
good  and  bad.  "  Judge  not,"  she  says.  She  is  a  philoso 
pher;  she  would  not  give  herself  the  pain  to  find  fault. 
The  Judge  abuses  everybody,  and  he  does  it  so  well — 
short,  sharp,  and  incisive  are  his  sentences,  and  he  revels 
in  condemning  the  world  en  Hoc,  as  the  French  say.  So 
nobody  is  the  better  for  her  good  word,  or  the  worse  for 
his  bad  one. 

6  59 


May  2.5,  1861  CHARLESTON,    S.     C.  June  24,  1861 

In  Camden  I  found  myself  in  a  flurry  of  women. 
"  Traitors,"  they  cried.  "  Spies;  they  ought  to  be 
hanged ;  Davin  is  taken  up,  Deaij  and  Davis  are  his  accom 
plices."  "  What  has  Davin  done?  "  "He'll  be  hanged, 
never  you  mind."  "  For  what?  "  "  They  caught  him 
walking  on  the  trestle  work  in  the  swamp,  after  no  good, 
you  may  be  sure."  "  They  won't  hang  him  for  that!  " 
' '  Hanging  is  too  good  for  him !  ' :  "  You  wait  till  Colonel 
Chesiiut  comes."  "  He  is  a  lawyer,"  I  said,  gravely. 
"  Ladies,  he  will  disappoint  you.  There  will  be  no  lynch 
ing  if  he  goes  to  that  meeting  to-day.  He  will  not  move  a 
step  except  by  habeas  corpus  and  trial  by  jury,  and  a 
quantity  of  bench  and  bar  to  speak  long  speeches." 

Mr.  Chesnut  did  come,  and  gave  a  more  definite  ac 
count  of  poor  Davin 's  precarious  situation.  They  had 
intercepted  treasonable  letters  of  his  at  the  Post  Office.  I 
believe  it  was  not  a  very  black  treason  after  all.  At  any 
rate,  Mr.  Chesnut  spoke  for  him  with  might  and  main  at 
the  meeting.  It  was  composed  (the  meeting)  of  intelligent 
men  with  cool  heads.  And  they  banished  Davin  to  Fort 
Sumter.  The  poor  Music  Master  can't  do  much  harm  in 
the  casemates  there.  He  may  thank  his  stars  that  Mr.  Ches 
nut  gave  him  a  helping  hand.  In  the  red  hot  state  our 
public  mind  now  is  in  there  will  be  a  short  shrift  for  spies. 
Judge  Withers  said  that  Mr.  Chesnut  never  made  a  more 
telling  speech  in  his  life  than  he  did  to  save  this  poor 
Frenchman  for  whom  Judge  Lynch  was  ready.  I  had 
never  heard  of  Davin  in  my  life  until  I  heard  he  was  to 
be  hanged. 

Judge  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  '  *  little  giant, ' '  is  dead ; 
one  of  those  killed  by  the  war,  no  doubt ;  trouble  of  mind. 

Charleston  people  are  thin-skinned.  They  shrink  from 
Russell's  touches.  I  find  his  criticisms  mild.  He  has  a 
light  touch.  I  expected  so  much  worse.  Those  Englishmen 
come,  somebody  says,  with  three  P's — pen,  paper,  preju 
dices.  I  dread  some  of  those  after-dinner  stories.  As  to 

60 


FRANKLIN'S   GRANDDAUGHTER 

that  day  in  the  harbor,  he  let  us  off  easily.  He  says  our 
men  are  so  fine  looking.  Who  denies  it?  Not  one  of  us. 
Also  that  it  is  a  silly  impression  which  has  gone  abroad 
that  men  can  not  work  in  this  climate.  We  live  in  the  open 
air,  and  work  like  Trojans  at  all  manly  sports,  riding  hard, 
hunting,  playing  at  being  soldiers.  These  fine,  manly  spec 
imens  have  been  in  the  habit  of  leaving  the  coast  when  it 
became  too  hot  there,  and  also  of  fighting  a  duel  or  two, 
if  kept  long  sweltering  under  a  Charleston  sun.  Hand 
some  youths,  whose  size  and  muscle  he  admired  so  much 
as  they  prowled  around  the  Mills  House,  would  not  relish 
hard  work  in  the  fields  between  May  and  December.  Ne 
groes  stand  a  tropical  or  semitropical  sun  at  noon-day  bet 
ter  than  white  men.  In  fighting  it  is  different.  Men  will 
not  then  mind  sun,  or  rain,  or  wind. 

Major  Emory,1  when  he  was  ordered  West,  placed  his 
resignation  in  the  hands  of  his  Maryland  brothers.  After 
the  Baltimore  row  the  brothers  sent  it  in,  but  Maryland 
declined  to  secede.  Mrs.  Emory,  who  at  least  is  two-thirds 
of  that  copartnership,  being  old  Franklin's  granddaugh 
ter,  and  true  to  her  blood,  tried  to  get  it  back.  The  Presi 
dent  refused  point  blank,  though  she  went  on  her  knees. 
That  I  do  not  believe.  The  Franklin  race  are  stiff-necked 
and  stiff-kneed ;  not  much  given  to  kneeling  to  God  or  man 
from  all  accounts. 

If  Major  Emory  comes  to  us  won't  he  have  a  good  time? 
Mrs.  Davis  adores  Mrs.  Emory.  No  wonder  I  fell  in 
love  with  her  myself..  I  heard  of  her  before  I  saw  her  in 


1  William  H.  Emory  had  served  in  Charleston  harbor  during  the 
Nullification  troubles  of  1831-1836.  In  1846  he  went  to  California, 
afterward  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  later  assisted  in  running  the 
boundary  line  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States  under  the  Gadsden 
Treaty  of  1853.  In  1854  he  was  in  Kansas  and  in  1858  in  Utah.  After 
resigning  his  commission,  as  related  by  the  author,  he  was  reappointed 
a  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  United  States  Army  and  took  an  active  part 
in  the  war  on  the  side  of  the  North. 

61 


May  25,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  June  24,  1861 

this  wise.  Little  Banks  told  me  the  story.  She  was  danc 
ing  at  a  ball  when  some  bad  accident  maker  for  the  Even 
ing  News  rushed  up  and  informe^  her  that  Major  Emory 
had  been  massacred  by  ten  Indians  somewhere  out  West. 
She  coolly  answered  him  that  she  had  later  intelligence; 
it  was  not  so.  Turning  a  deaf  ear  then,  she  went  on 
dancing.  Next  night  the  same  officious  fool  met  her  with 
this  congratulation :  * '  Oh,  Mrs.  Emory,  it  was  all  a  hoax ! 
The  Major  is  alive."  She  cried:  "  You  are  always  run 
ning  about  with  your  bad  news,"  and  turned  her  back  on 
him;  or,  I  think  it  was,  "  You  delight  in  spiteful  stories," 
or,  * '  You  are  a  harbinger  of  evil. ' '  Banks  is  a  newspaper 
man  and  knows  how  to  arrange  an  anecdote  for  effect. 

June  12th. — Have  been  looking  at  Mrs.  O'Dowd  as  she 
burnished  the  "  Meejor's  arrms  "  before  Waterloo.  And 
I  have  been  busy,  too.  My  husband  has  gone  to  join  Beau- 
regard,  somewhere  beyond  Richmond.  I  feel  blue-black 
with  melancholy.  But  I  hope  to  be  in  Richmond  before 
..long  myself.  That  is  some  comfort. 

The  war  is  making  us  all  tenderly  sentimental.  No 
casualties  yet,  no  real  mourning,  nobody  hurt.  So  it  is  all 
parade,  fife,  and  fine  feathers.  Posing  we  are  en  grande 
tenue.  There  is  no  imagination  here  to  forestall  woe,  and 
only  the  excitement  and  wild  awakening  from  every-day 
stagnant  life  are  felt.  That  is,  when  one  gets  away  from 
the  two  or  three  sensible  men  who  are  still  left  in  the  world. 

When  Beauregard's  report  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter  was  printed,  Willie  Ancrum  said:  "  How  is  this?  Tom 
Ancrum  and  Ham  Boykin's  names  are  not  here.  We 
thought  from  what  they  told  us  that  they  did  most  of  the 
fighting." 

Colonel  Magruder 1  has  done  something  splendid  on  the 

1  John  Bankhead  Magruder  was  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  who  had 
served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  afterward  while  stationed  at  Newport, 
R.  I.,  had  become  famous  for  his  entertainments.  When  Virginia 

62 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BIG  BETHEL 

peninsula.  Bethel  is  the  name  of  the  battle.  Three  hun 
dred  of  the  enemy  killed,  they  say. 

Our  people,  Southerners,  I  mean,  continue  to  drop  in 
from  the  outside  world.  And  what  a  contempt  those  who 
seceded  a  few  days  sooner  feel  for  those  who  have  just 
come  out!  A  Camden  notable,  called  Jim  Velipigue,  said 
in  the  street  to-day:  "  At  heart  Robert  E.  Lee  is  against 
us ;  that  I  know. ' '  What  will  not  people  say  in  war  times ! 
Also,  he  said  that  Colonel  Kershaw  wanted  General  Beau- 
regard  to  change  the  name  of  the  stream  near  Manassas 
Station.  Bull's  Run  is  so  unrefined.  Beauregard  an 
swered  :  ' (  Let  us  try  and  make  it  as  great  a  name  as  your 
South  Carolina  Cowpens. ' ' * 

Mrs.  Chesnut,  born  in  Philadelphia,  can  not  see  what 
right  we  have  to  take  Mt.  Vernon  from  our  Northern  sis 
ters.  She  thinks  that  ought  to  be  common  to  both  parties. 
We  think  they  will  get  their  share  of  this  world's  goods, 
do  what  we  may,  and  we  will  keep  Mt.  Vernon  if  we  can. 
No  comfort  in  Mr.  Chesnut 's  letter  from  Richmond.  Un 
utterable  confusion  prevails,  and  discord  already. 

In  Charleston  a  butcher  has  been  clandestinely  supply 
ing  the  Yankee  fleet  outside  the  bar  with  beef.  They  say 
he  gave  the  information  which  led  to  the  capture  of  the 
Savannah.  They  will  hang  him. 

Mr.  Petigru  alone  in  South  Carolina  has  not  seceded. 
When  they  pray  for  our  President,  he  gets  up  from  his 
knees.  He  might  risk  a  prayer  for  Mr.  Davis.  I  doubt  if 

seceded,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United  States  Army.  After 
the  war  he  settled  in  Houston,  Texas. 

The  battle  of  Big  Bethel  was  fought  on  June  10,  1861.  The  Feder 
als  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  about  100,  among  them  Theodore  Win- 
throp,  of  New  York,  author  of  Cecil  Dreeme.  The  Confederate  losses 
were  very  slight. 

1  The  battle  of  the  Cowpens  in  South  Carolina  was  fought  on  Jan 
uary  17,  1781;  the  British,  under  Colonel  Tarleton,  being  defeated  by 
General  Morgan,  with  a  loss  to  the  British  of  300  killed  and  wounded  and 
500  prisoners. 

63 


May  25,  1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  June  24,  1861 

it  would  seriously  do  Mr.  Davis  any  good.  Mr.  Petigru  is 
too  clever  to  think  himself  one  of  the  righteous  whose 
prayers  avail  so  overly  much.  Mr.  Petigru 's  disciple, 
Mr.  Bryan,  followed  his  example.  Mr.  Petigru  has  such 
a  keen  sense  of  the  ridiculous  he  must  be  laughing  in  his 
sleeve  at  the  hubbub  this  untimely  trait  of  independence 
has  raised. 

Looking  out  for  a  battle  at  Manassas  Station.  I  am  al 
ways  ill.  The  name  of  my  disease  is  a  longing  to  get  away 
from  here  and  to  go  to  Richmond. 

June  19th. — In  England  Mr.  Gregory  and  Mr.  Lyndsey 
rise  to  say  a  good  word  for  us.  Heaven  reward  them; 
shower  down  its  choicest  blessings  on  their  devoted  heads, 
as  the  fiction  folks  say. 

Barnwell  Heyward  telegraphed  me  to  meet  him  at 
Kingsville,  but  I  was  at  Cool  Spring,  Johnny's  plantation, 
and  all  my  clothes  were  at  Sandy  Hill,  our  home  in  the 
Sand  Hills;  so  I  lost  that  good  opportunity  of  the  very 
nicest  escort  to  Richmond.  Tried  to  rise  above  the  ago 
nies  of  every-day  life.  Read  Emerson;  too  restless — Ma 
nassas  on  the  brain. 

Russell's  letters  are  filled  with  rubbish  about  our  want 
ing  an  English  prince  to  reign  over  us.  He  actually  inti 
mates  that  the  noisy  arming,  drumming,  marching,  pro 
claiming  at  the  North,  scares  us.  Yes,  as  the  making  of 
faces  and  turning  of  somersaults  by  the  Chinese  scared  the 
English. 

Mr.  Binney  *  has  written  a  letter.  It  is  in  the  Intelli 
gencer  of  Philadelphia.  He  offers  Lincoln  his  life  and 
fortune;  all  that  he  has  put  at  Lincoln's  disposal  to  con 
quer  us.  Queer ;  we  only  want  to  separate  from  them,  and 

1  Horace  Binney,  one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  Philadelphia,  who 
was  closely  associated  with  the  literary,  scientific,  and  philanthropic 
interests  of  his  time.  His  wife  was  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Chesnut,  the  author's 
mother-in-law. 

64 


THE   TWO    ARMIES    ADVANCING 

they  put  such  an  inordinate  value  on  us.  They  are  willing 
to  risk  all,  life  and  limb,  and  all  their  money  to  keep  us, 
they  love  us  so. 

.^Mr.  Chesnut  is  accused  of  firing  the  first  shot,  and  his 
cousin,  an  ex- West  Pointer,  writes  in  a  martial  fury.  They 
confounded  the  best  shot  made  on  the  Island  the  day  of  the 
picnic  with  the  first  shot  at  Fort  Sumter.  This  last  is 
claimed  by  Captain  'James.  Others  say  it  was  one  of  the 
Gibbeses  who  first  fired.  But  it  was  Anderson  who  fired  the 
train  which  blew  up  the  Union.  He  slipped  into  Fort  Sum 
ter  that  night,  when  we  expected  to  talk  it  all  over.  A  let 
ter  from  my  husband  dated,  "  Headquarters,  Manassas 
Junction,  June  16,  1861  ": 

MY  DEAR  MARY:  I  wrote  you  a  short  letter  from  Richmond 
last  Wednesday,  and  came  here  next  day.  Found  the  camp  all 
busy  and  preparing  for  a  vigorous  defense.  We  have  here  at  this 
camp  seven  regiments,  and  in  the  same  command,  at  posts  in  the 
neighborhood,  six  others — say,  ten  thousand  good  men.  The  Gen 
eral  and  the  men  feel  confident  that  they  can  whip  twice  that 
number  of  the  enemy,  at  least. 

I  have  been  in  the  saddle  for  two  days,  all  day,  with  the  Gen 
eral,  to  become  familiar  with  the  topography  of  the  country,  arid 
the  posts  he  intends  to  assume,  and  the  communications  between 
them. 

We  learned  General  Johnston  has  evacuated  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  taken  up  his  position  at  Winchester,  to  meet  the  advancing 
column  of  McClellan,  and  to  avoid  being  cut  off  by  the  three  col 
umns  which  were  advancing  upon  him.  Neither  Johnston  nor 
Beauregard  considers  Harper's  Ferry  as  very  important  in  a  stra 
tegic  point  of  view. 

I  think  it  most  probable  that  the  next  battle  you  will  hear  of 
will  be  between  the  forces  of  Johnston  and  McClellan. 

I  think  what  we  particularly  need  is  a  head  in  the  field — a 
Major-General  to  combine  and  conduct  all  the  forces  as  well  as 
plan  a  general  and  energetic  campaign.  Still,  we  have  all  confi 
dence  that  we  will  defeat  the  enemy  whenever  and  wherever  we 
meet  in  general  engagement.  Although  the  majority  of  the  peo- 

65 


1861  CHARLESTON,     S.     C.  June  24,  1861 


pie  just  around  here  are  with  us,  still  there  are  many  who  are 
against  us. 

God  bless  you.  Yours, 

,        JAMES  CHESNUT,  JR. 

Mary  Hammy  and  myself  are  off  for  Richmond.  Rev. 
Mr.  Meynardie,  of  the  Methodist  persuasion,  goes  with  us. 
We  are  to  be  under  his  care.  War-cloud  lowering. 

Isaac  Hayne,  the  man  who  fought  a  duel  with  Ben 
Alston  across  the  dinner-table  and  yet  lives,  is  the  bravest 
of  the  brave.  He  attacks  Russell  in  the  Mercury  —  in  the 
public  prints  —  for  saying  we  wanted  an  English  prince  to 
the  fore.  Not  we,  indeed  !  Every  man  wants  to  be  at  the 
head  of  affairs  himself.  If  he  can  not  be  king  himself, 
then  a  republic,  of  course.  It  was  hardly  necessary  to  do 
more  than  laugh  at  Russell's  absurd  idea.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  the  wildest  kind  of  talk  at  the  Mills  House. 
Russell  writes  candidly  enough  of  the  British  in  India.  We 
can  hardly  expect  him  to  suppress  what  is  to  our  detriment. 

June  24th.  —  Last  night  I  was  awakened  by  loud  talking 
and  candles  flashing,  tramping  of  feet,  growls  dying  away 
in  the  distance,  loud  calls  from  point  to  point  in  the  yard. 
Up  I  started,  my  heart  in  my  mouth.  Some  dreadful  thing 
had  happened,  a  battle,  a  death,  a  horrible  accident.  Some 
one  was  screaming  aloft  —  that  is,  from  the  top  of  the  stair 
way,  hoarsely  like  a  boatswain  in  a  storm.  Old  Colonel 
Chesnut  was  storming  at  the  sleepy  negroes  looking  for  fire, 
with  lighted  candles,  in  closets  and  everywhere  else.  I 
dressed  and  came  upon  the  scene  of  action. 

"  What  is  it?  Any  news?  "  "  No,  no,  only  mamma 
smells  a  smell;  she  thinks  something  is  burning  some 
where."  The  whole  yard  was  alive,  literally  swarming. 
There  are  sixty  or  seventy  people  kept  here  to  wait  upon 
this  household,  two-thirds  of  them  too  old  or  too  young 
to  be  of  any  use,  but  families  remain  intact.  The  old 
Colonel  has  a  magnificent  voice.  I  am  sure  it  can  be  heard 
for  miles.  Literally,  he  was  roaring  from  the  piazza,  giv- 

66 


OFF   TO    RICHMOND 


ing  orders  to  the  busy  crowd  who  were  hunting  the  smell 
of  fire. 

Old  Mrs.  Chesnut  is  deaf;  so  she  did  not  know  what  a 
commotion  she  was  creating.  She  is  very  sensitive  to  bad 
odors.  Candles  have  to  be  taken  out  of  the  room  to  be 
snuffed.  Lamps  are  extinguished  only  in  the  porticoes,  or 
farther  afield.  She  finds  violets  oppressive ;  can  only  toler 
ate  a  single  kind  of  sweet  rose.  A  tea-rose  she  will  not 
have  in  her  room.  She  was  totally  innocent  of  the  storm 
she  had  raised,  and  in  a  mild,  sweet  voice  was  suggesting 
places  to  be  searched.  I  was  weak  enough  to  laugh  hys 
terically.  The  bombardment  of  Fort  Suniter  was  nothing 
to  this. 

After  this  alarm,  enough  to  wake  the  dead,  the  smell  was 
found.  A  family  had  been  boiling  soap.  Around  the  soap- 
pot  they  had  swept  up  some  woolen  rags.  Raking  up  the 
fire  to  make  all  safe  before  going  to  bed,  this  was  heaped 
up  with  the  ashes,  and  its  faint  smoldering  tainted  the  air, 
at  least  to  Mrs.  Chesnut 's  nose,  two  hundred  yards  or  more 
away. 

Yesterday  some  of  the  negro  men  on  the  plantation 
Vwere  found  with  pistols.  I  have  never  before  seen  aught 
about  any  negro  to  show  that  they  knew  we  had  a  war  on 
hand  in  which  they  have  any  interest. 

Mrs.  John  de  Saussure  bade  me  good-by  and  God  bless 
you.  I  was  touched.  Camdeu  people  never  show  any  more 
feeling  or  sympathy  than  red  Indians,  except  at  a  funeral. 
It  is  expected  of  all  to  howl  then,  and  if  you  don't  "  show 
feeling,"  indignation  awaits  the  delinquent. 


67 


VII 

RICHMOND,    VA. 

June  27,  1861—  July  4,  1861 

EICHMOND,  Va.,  June  27,  1861.— Mr.  Meynardie  was 
perfect  in  the  part  of  traveling  companion.  He  had 
his  pleasures,  too.  The  most  pious  and  eloquent 
of  parsons  is  human,  and  he  enjoyed  the  converse  of  the 
"  eminent  persons  "  who  turned  up  on  every  hand  and 
gave  their  views  freely  on  all  matters  of  state. 

Mr.  Lawrence  Keitt  joined  us  en  route.  With  him  came 
his  wife  and  baby.  We  don't  think  alike,  but  Mr.  Keitt 
is  always  original  and  entertaining.  Already  he  pro 
nounces  Jeff  Davis  a  failure  and  his  Cabinet  a  farce. 
"  Prophetic, "  I  suggested,  as  he  gave  his  opinion  before 
the  administration  had  fairly  got  under  way.  He  was 
fierce  in  his  fault-finding  as  to  Mr.  Chesnut's  vote  for  Jeff 
Davis.  He  says  Mr.  Chesnut  overpersuaded  the  Judge, 
and  those  two  turned  the  tide,  at  least  with  the  South  Car 
olina  delegation.  We  wrangled,  as  we  always  do.  He  says 
Howell  Cobb's  common  sense  might  have  saved  us. 

Two  quiet,  unobtrusive  Yankee  school-teachers  were  on 
the  train.  I  had  spoken  to  them,  and  they  had  told  me  all 
about  themselves.  So  I  wrote  on  a  scrap  of  paper,  "  Do 
not  abuse  our  home  and  house  so  before  these  Yankee 
strangers,  going  North.  Those  girls  are  schoolmistresses 
returning  from  whence  they  came. ' ' 

Soldiers  everywhere.  They  seem  to  be  in  the  air,  and 
certainly  to  fill  all  space.  Keitt  quoted  a  funny  Georgia 
man  who  says  we  try  our  soldiers  to  see  if  they  are  hot 

68 


AT   THE    SPOTSWOOD 


enough  before  we  enlist  them.  If,  when  water  is  thrown 
on  them  they  do  not  sizz,  they  won 't  do ;  their  patriotism  is 
too  cool. 

To  show  they  were  wide  awake  and  sympathizing  en 
thusiastically,  every  woman  from  every  window  of  every 
house  we  passed  waved  a  handkerchief,  if  she  had  one.  This 
fluttering  of  white  flags  from  every  side  never  ceased  from 
Camden  to  Richmond.  Another  new  symptom — parties  of 
girls  came  to  every  station  simply  to  look  at  the  troops 
passing.  They  always  stood  (the  girls,  I  mean)  in  solid 
phalanx,  and  as  the  sun  was  generally  in  their  eyes,  they 
made  faces.  Mary  Hammy  never  tired  of  laughing  at  this 
peculiarity  of  her  sister  patriots. 

At  the  depot  in  Richmond,  Mr.  Mallory,  with  Wigfall 
and  Garnett,  met  us.  We  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  the 
warmth  of  our  reception.  They  had  a  carriage  for  us,  and 
our  rooms  were  taken  at  the  Spotswood.  But  then  the  peo 
ple  who  were  in  the  rooms  engaged  for  us  had  not  departed 
at  the  time  they  said  they  were  going.  They  lingered  among 
the  delights  of  Richmond,  and  we  knew  of  no  law  to  make 
them  keep  their  words  and  go.  Mrs.  Preston  had  gone  for 
a  few  days  to  Manassas.  So  we  took  her  room.  Mrs.  Davis 
is  as  kind  as  ever.  She  met  us  in  one  of  the  corridors  acci 
dentally,  and  asked  us  to  join  her  party  and  to  take  our 
meals  at  her  table.  Mr.  Preston  came,  and  we  moved  into 
a  room  so  small  there  was  only  space  for  a  bed,  wash-stand, 
and  glass  over  it.  My  things  were  hung  up  out  of  the  way 
on  nails  behind  the  door. 

As  soon  as  my  husband  heard  we  had  arrived,  he  came, 
too.  After  dinner  he  sat  smoking,  the  solitary  chair  of  the 
apartment  tilted  against  the  door  as  he  smoked,  and  my 
poor  dresses  were  fumigated.  I  remonstrated  feebly. 
"  War  times, "  said  he;  "  nobody  is  fussy  now.  When  I 
go  back  to  Manassas  to-morrow  you  will  be  awfully  sorry 
you  snubbed  me  about  those  trumpery  things  up  there." 
So  he  smoked  the  pipe  of  peac"e,  for  I  knew  that  his  re- 

69 


June  27,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  July  4,  1861 

marks  were  painfully  true.  As  soon  as  he  was  once 
more  under  the  enemy's  guns,  I  would  repent  in  sackcloth 
and  ashes. 

Captain  Ingraham  came  with  Colonel  Lamar.1  The  lat 
ter  said  he  could  only  stay  five  minutes;  he  was  obliged 
to  go  back  at  once  to  his  camp.  That  was  a  little  before 
eight.  However,  at  twelve  he  was  still  talking  to  us  on 
that  sofa.  We  taunted  him  with  his  fine  words  to  the 
the  F.  F.  V.  crowd  before  the  Spotswood :  ' '  Virginia  has 
no  grievance.  She  raises  her  strong  arm  to  catch  the  blow 
aimed  at  her  weaker  sisters."  He  liked  it  well,  how 
ever,  that  we  knew  his  speech  by  heart. 

This  Spotswood  is  a  miniature  world.  The  war  topic 
is  not  so  much  avoided,  as  that  everybody  has  some  per 
sonal  dignity  to  take  care  of  and  everybody  else  is  indiffer 
ent  to  it.  I  mean  the  "  personal  dignity  of  "  autrui.  In 
this  wild  confusion  everything  likely  and  unlikely  is  told 
you,  and  then  everything  is  as  flatly  contradicted.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  safest  not  to  talk  of  the  war. 

Trescott  was  telling  us  how  they  laughed  at  little  South 
Carolina  in  Washington.  People  said  it  was  almost  as 
large  as  Long  Island,  which  is  Hardly  more  than  a  tail-, 
feather  of  New  York.  Always  there  is  a  child  who  sulks 
and  won't  play;  that  was  our  role.  And  we  were  posing 
as  San  Marino  and  all  model-spirited,  though  small,  re 
publics,  pose. 


1  Lucius  Quintus  Cincinnatus  Lamar,  a  native  of  Georgia  and  of 
Huguenot  descent,  who  got  his  classical  names  from  his  father:  his 
father  got  them  from  an  uncle  who  claimed  the  privilege  of  bestowing 
upon  his  nephew  the  full  name  of  his  favorite  hero.  When  the  war 
began,  Mr.  Lamar  had  lived  for  some  years  in  Mississippi,  where  he 
had  become  successful  as  a  lawyer  and  had  been  elected  to  Congress. 
He  entered  the  Confederate  Army  as  the  Colonel  of  a  Mississippi  regi 
ment.  He  served  in  Congress  after  the  war  and  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate  in  1877.  In  1885  he  became  Secretary  of  the  In 
terior,  and  in  1888,  a  justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 

70 


A   TALK  WITH   PRESIDENT  DAVIS 

He  tells  us  that  Lincoln  is  a  humorist.  Lincoln  sees 
the  fun  of  things ;  he  thinks  if  they  had  left  us  in  a  corner 
or  out  in  the  cold  a  while  pouting-,  with  our  fingers  in  our 
mouth,  by  hook  or  by  crook  he  could  have  got  us  back,  but 
Anderson  spoiled  all. 

In  Mrs.  Davis 's  drawing-room  last- night,  the  President 
took  a  seat  by  me  orLjthe  sofa  where  I  sat.  He  talked  for 
nearly  an  hour.  He  laughed  at  our  faith  in  our  own  pow 
ers.  We  are  like  the  British.  We  think  every  Southerner 
equal  to  three  Yankees  at  least.  We  will  have  to  be  equiva 
lent  to  a  dozen  now.  After  his  experience  of  the  fighting 
qualities  of  Southerners  in  Mexico,  he  believes  that  wre  will 
do  all  that  can  foe-  done,. by  pluck  and  muscle,  endurance, 
and  dogged  courage,  dash,  and  red-hot  patriotism.  And 
yet  his  tone  was  not  sanguine.  There  was  a  sad  refrain 
running  through  it  all.  For  one  thing,  either  way,  he 
thinks  it  will  be  a  long  war.  That  floored  me  at  once.  It 
has  been  too  long  for  me  already.  Then  he  said,  before  the 
end  came  we  would  have  many  a  bitter  experience.  He  said 
only  fools  doubted  the  courage  of  the  Yankees,  or  their 
willingness  to  fight  when  they  saw  fit.  And  now  that  we 
have  stung  their  pride,  we  have  roused  them  till  they  will 
fight  like  devils. 

Mrs.  Bradley  Johnson  is  here,  a  regular  heroine.  She 
outgeneraled  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina  in  some  way 
and  has  got  arms  and  clothes  and  ammunition  for  her  hus 
band 's  regiment.1  There  was  some  joke.  The  regimental 
breeches  were  all  wrong,  but  a  tailor  righted  that — hind 
part  before,  or  something  odd. 

Captain  Hartstein  came  to-day  with  Mrs.  Bartow. 
Colonel  Bartow  is  Colonel  of  a  Georgia  regiment  now  in 


1  Bradley  Tyler  Johnson,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  graduate  of 
Princeton,  who  had  studied  law  at  Harvard.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
war  he  organized  a  company  at  his  own  expense  in  defense  of  the  South. 
He  was  the  author  of  a  Life  of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

71 


June  27,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  July  4,  1861 

Virginia.  He  was  the  Mayor  of  Savannah  who  helped  to 
wake  the  patriotic  echoes  the  livelong  night  under  my 
sleepless  head  into  the  small  hours  in  Charleston  in  No 
vember  last.  His  wife  is  a  charming  person,  witty  and  wise, 
daughter  of  Judge  Berrieh.  She  had  on  a  white  muslin 
apron  with  pink  bows  on  the  pockets.  It  gave  her  a  gay 
and  girlish  air,  and  yet  she  must  be  as  old  as  I  am. 

Mr.  Lamar,  who  does  not  love  slavery  more  than  Sumner 
does,  nor  than  I  do,  laughs  at  the  compliment  New  England 
pays  us.  We  want  to  separate  from  them ;  to  be  rid  of  the 
Yankees  forever  at  any  price.  And  they  hate  us  so,  and 
would  clasp  us,  or  grapple  us,  as  Polonius  has  it,  to  their 
bosoms  ' '  with  hooks  of  steel. ' '  We  are  an  unwilling  bride. 
I  think  incompatibility  of  temper  began  when  it  was  made 
plain  to  us  that  we  got  all  the  opprobrium  of  slavery  and 
they  all  the  money  there  was  in  it  with  their  tariff. 

Mr.  Lamar  says,  the  young  men  are  light-hearted  be 
cause  there  is  a  fight  on  hand,  but  those  few  who  look 
ahead,  the  clear  heads,  they  see  all  the  risk,  the  loss  of  land, 
limb,  and  life,  home,  wife,  and  children.  As  in  ' '  the  brave 
days  of  old,"  they  take  to  it  for  their  country's  sake. 
They  are  ready  and  willing,  come  what  may.  But  not  so 
light-hearted  as  the  jeunesse  doree. 

June  29th. — Mrs.  Preston,  Mrs.  Wigfall,  Mary  Hammy 
and  I  drove  in  a  fine  open  carriage  to  see  the  Champ  de 
Mars.  It  was  a  grand  tableau  out  there.  Mr.  Davis  rode 
a  beautiful  gray  horse,  the  Arab  Edwin  de  Leon  brought 
him  from  Egypt.  His  worst  enemy  will  allow  that  he  is  a 
consummate  rider,  graceful  and  easy  in  the  saddle,  and  Mr. 
Chesnut,  who  has  talked  horse  with  his  father  ever  since  he 
was  born,  owns  that  Mr.  Davis  knows  more  about  horses 
than  any  man  he  has  met  yet.  General  Lee  was  there  with 
him;  also  Joe  Davis  and  Wigfall  acting  as  his  aides. 

Poor  Mr.  Lamar  has  been  brought  from  his  camp — 
paralysis  or  some  sort  of  shock.  Every  woman  in  the  house 
is  ready  to  rush  into  the  Florence  Nightingale  business.  I 

72 


L.    Q.    C.    LAMAR 


think  I  will  wait  for  a  wounded  man,  to  make  my  first  effort 
as  Sister  of  Charity.  Mr.  Lamar  sent  for  me.  As  every 
body  went,  Mr.  Davis  setting  the  example,  so  did  I.  Lamar 
will  not  die  this  time.  Will  men  flatter  and  make  -eyes, 
until  their  eyes  close  in  death,  at  the  ministering  angels? 
He  was  the  same  old  Lamar  of  the  drawing-room. 

It  is  pleasant  at  the  President's  table.  My  seat  is  next 
to  Joe  Davis,  with  Mr.  Browne  on  the  other  side,  and  Mr. 
Mallory  opposite.  There  is  great  constraint,  however.  As 
soon  as  I  came  I  repeated  what  the  North  Carolina  man 
said  on  the  cars,  that  North  Carolina  had  20,000  men  ready 
and  they  were  kept  back  by  Mr.  Walker,  etc.  The  Presi 
dent  caught  something  of  what  I  was  saying,  and  asked  me 
to  repeat  it,  which  I  did,  although  I  was  scared  to  death. 
1  *  Madame,  when  you  see  that  person  tell  him  his  statement 
is  false.  We  are  too  anxious  here  for  troops  to  refuse  a 
man  who  offers  himself,  not  to  speak  of  20,000  men."  Si 
lence  ensued — of  the  most  profound. 

Uncle  H.  gave  me  three  hundred  dollars  for  his  daugh 
ter  Mary's  expenses,  making  four  in  all  that  I  have  of  hers. 
He  would  pay  me  one  hundred,  which  he  said  he  owed  my 
husband  for  a  horse.  I  thought  it  an  excuse  to  lend  me 
money.  I  told  him  I  had  enough  and  to  spare  for  all  my 
needs  until  my  Colonel  came  home  from  the  wars. 

Ben  Allston,  the  Governor's  son,  is  here — came  to  see 
me ;  does  not  show  much  of  the  wit  of  the  Petigrus ;  pleas 
ant  person,  however.  Mr.  Brewster  and  Wigfall  came  at 
the  same  time.  The  former,  chafing  at  Wigf all's  anoma 
lous  position  here,  gave  him  fiery  advice.  Mr.  Wigfall  was 
calm  and  full  of  common  sense.  A  brave  man,  and  with 
out  a  thought  of  any  necessity  for  displaying  his  temper, 
he  said:  "  Brewster,  at  this  time,  before  the  country  is 
strong  and  settled  in  her  new  career,  it  would  be  disastrous 
for  us,  the  head  men,  to  engage  in  a  row  among  ourselves. ' ' 

As  I  was  brushing  flies  away  and  fanning  the  prostrate 
Lamar,  I  reported  Mr.  Davis 's  conversation  of  the  night 

73 


June  27,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  July  4,  1361 

before.  "  He  is  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Lamar,  "  the  fight  had 
to  come.  We  are  men,  not  women.  The  quarrel  had  lasted 
long  enough.  We  hate  each  other  sjo,  the  fight  had  to  come. 
Even  Homer's  heroes,  after  they  had  stormed  and  scolded 
enough,  fought  like  brave  men,  long  and  well.  If  the  ath 
lete,  Sumner,  had  stood  on  his  manhood  and  training  and 
struck  back  when  Preston  Brooks  assailed  him,  Preston 
Brooks 's  blow  need  not  have  been  the  opening  skirmish  of 
the  war.  Sumner 's  country  took  up  the  fight  because  he 
did  not.  Sumner  chose  his  own  battle-field,  and  it  was  the 
worse  for  us.  What  an  awful  blunder  that  Preston 
Brooks  business  was !  ' :  Lamar  said  Yankees  did  not  fight 
for  the  fun  of  it ;  they  always  made  it  pay  or  let  it  alone. 

Met  Mr.  Lyon  with  news,  indeed — a  man  here  in  the 
midst  of  us,  taken  with  Lincoln's  passports,  etc.,  in  his 
pocket — a  palpable  spy.  Mr.  Lyon  said  he  would  be  hanged 
—in  all  human  probability,  that  is. 

A  letter  from  my  husband  written  at  Camp  Pickens, 
and  saying :  '  *  If  you  and  Mrs.  Preston  can  make  up  your 
minds  to  leave  Richmond,  and  can  come  up  to  a  nice  little 
country  house  near  Orange  Court  House,  we  could  come  to 
see  you  frequently  while  the  army  is  stationed  here.  It 
would  be  a  safe  place  for  the  present,  near  the  scene  of 
action,  and  directly  in  the  line  of  news  from  all  sides. ' '  So 
we  go  to  Orange  Court  House. 

Read  the  story  of  Soulouque,1  the  Haytian  man :  he  has 
wonderful  interest  just  now.  Slavery  has  to  go,  of  course, 
and  joy  go  with  it.  These  Yankees  may  kill  us  and  lay 
waste  our  land  for  a  while,  but  conquer  us — never ! 

July  4th. — Russell  abuses  us  in  his  letters.  People  here 
care  a  great  deal  for  what  Russell  says,  because  he  repre- 

1  Faustin  Elie  Soulouque,  a  negro  slave  of  Hayti,  who,  having  been 
freed,  took  part  in  the  insurrection  against  the  French  in  1803,  and  rose 
by  successive  steps  until  in  August,  1849,  by  the  unanimous  action  of 
the  parliament,  he  was  proclaimed  emperor. 

74 


A   DRIVE   TO   CAMP 


sents  the  London  Times,  and  the  Times  reflects  the 
sentiment  of  the  English  people.  How~^w_e_  do  cling  to 
the  idea  of  an  alliance  with  England  or  France !  Without 
France  even  Washington  could  not  have  done  it. 

We  drove  to  the  camp  to  see  the  President  present  a 
flag  to  a  Maryland  regiment.  Having  lived  on  the  battle 
field  (Kirkwood),  near  Camden,1  we  have  an  immense  re 
spect  for  the  Maryland  line.  When  our  militia  in  that 
fight  ran  away,  Colonel  Howard  and  the  Marylanders  held 
their  own  against  Rawdon,  Cornwallis,  and  the  rest,  and 
everywhere  around  are  places  named  for  a  doughty  cap 
tain  killed  in  our  defense — Kirkwood,  De  Kalb,  etc.  The 
last,  however,  was  a  Prussian  count.  A  letter  from  my 
husband,  written  'June  22d,  has  just  reached  me.  He 
says: 

"  We  are  very  strongly  posted,  entrenched,  and  have 
now  at  our  command  about  15,000  of  the  best  troops  in  the 
world.  We  have  besides,  two  batteries  of  artillery,  a  regi 
ment  of  cavalry,  and  daily  expect  a  battalion  of  flying 
artillery  from  Richmond.  We  have  sent  forward  seven  regi 
ments  of  infantry  and  rifles  toward  Alexandria.  Our  out 
posts  have  felt  the  enemy  several  times,  and  in  every 
instance  the  enemy  recoils.  General  Johnston  has  had  sev 
eral  encounters — the  advancing  columns  of  the  two  armies 
— and  with  him,  too,  the  enemy,  although  always  superior 
in  numbers,  are  invariably  driven  back. 

"  There  is  great  deficiency  in  the  matter  of  ammuni 
tion.  General  Johnston's  command,  in  the  very  face  of 
overwhelming  numbers,  have  only  thirty  rounds  each.  If 
they  had  been  well  provided  in  this  respect,  they  could  and 
would  have  defeated  Cadwallader  and  Paterson  with  great 
ease.  I  find  the  opinion  prevails  throughout  the  army  that 

1  At  Camden  in  August,  1780,  was  fought  a  battle  between  General 
Gates  and  Lord  Cornwallis.  in  which  Gates  was  defeated.     In  April  of 
the  following  year  near  Camden,  Lord  Rawdon  defeated  General  Greene. 
7  '75 


June  27,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  July  4,  1861 

there  is  great  imbecility  and  shameful  neglect  in  the  War 
Department. 

te  Unless  the  Republicans  fall  back,  we  must  soon  come 
together  on  both  lines,  and  have  a  decided  engagement. 
But  the  opinion  prevails  here  that  Lincoln's  army  will  not 
meet  us  if  they  can  avoid  it.  They  have  already  fallen 
back  before  a  slight  check  from  400  of  Johnston's  men. 
They  had  700  and  were  badly  beaten.  You  have  no  idea 
how  dirty  and  irksome  the  camp  life  is.  You  would  hardly 
know  your  best  friend  in  camp  guise. ' ' 

Noise  of  drums,  tramp  of  marching  regiments  all  day 
long;  rattling  of  artillery  wagons,  bands  of  music,  friends 
from  every  quarter  coming  in.  We  ought  to  be  miserable 
and  anxious,  and  yet  these  are  pleasant  days.  Perhaps  we 
are  unnaturally  exhilarated  and  excited. 

Heard  some  people  in  the  drawing-room  say:  '  Mrs. 
Davis 's  ladies  are  not  young,  are  not  pretty, ' '  and  I  am  one 
of  them.  The  truthfulness  of  the  remark  did  not  tend  to 
alleviate  its  bitterness.  We  must  put  Maggie  Howell  and 
Mary  Hammy  in  the  foreground,  as  youth  and  beauty  are 
in  request.  At  least  they  are  young  things — bright  spots 
in  a  somber-tinted  picture.  The  President  does  not  forbid 
our  going,  but  he  is  very  much  averse  to  it.  We  are  con 
sequently  frightened  by  our  own  audacity,  but  we  are 
wilful  women,  and  so  -we  go. 


76 


VIII 

FAUQUIER    WHITE    SULPHUR    SPRINGS,    VA. 

July  6,  1861— July  11,  1861 

AUQUIER  WHITE  SULPHUR  SPRINGS,  Va.. 
July  6, 1861. — Mr.  Brewster  came  here  with  us.  The 
cars  were  jammed  with  soldiers  to  the  muzzle.  They 
were  very  polite  and  considerate,  and  we  had  an  agreeable 
journey,  in  spite  of  heat,  dust,  and  crowd.  Rev.  Robert 
Baruwell  was  with  us.  He  means  to  organize  a  hospital  for 
sick  and  wounded.  There  was  not  an  inch  of  standing- 
room  even;  so  dusty,  so  close,  but  everybody  in  tip-top 
spirits. 

Mr.  Preston  and  Mr.  Chesnut  met  us  at  Warrenton. 
Saw  across  the  lawn,  but  did  not  speak  to  them,  some  of 
Judge  Campbell's  family.  There  they  wander  disconso 
late,  just  outside  the  gates  of  their  Paradise:  a  resigned 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States :  resigned, 
and  for  a  cause  that  he  is  hardly  more  than  half  in  sympa 
thy  with,  Judge  Campbell  ?s  is  one  of  the  hardest  cases. 

July  7th. — This  water  is  making  us  young  again.  How 
these  men  enjoy  the  baths.  They  say  Beauregard  can  stop 
the  way  with  sixty  thousand:  that  many  are  coming. 

An  antique  female,  with  every  hair  curled  and  frizzed, 
said  to  be  a  Yankee  spy,  sits  opposite  us.  Brewster  sol 
emnly  wondered  "  with  eternity  and  the  judgment  to  come 
so  near  at  hand.,  how  she  could  waste  her  few  remaining 
minutes  curling  her  hair."  He  bade  me  be  very  polite,  for 
she  would  ask  me  questions.  When  we  were  walking  away 

77 


July  6,  1861  FAUQUIER,    VA.  July  11,  1861 

from  table,  I  demanded  his  approval  of  my  self-control 
under  such  trying  circumstances.  It  seems  I  was  not  as 
calm  and  forbearing  as  I  thought  myself.  Brewster  an 
swered  with  emphasis:  "  Do  you  always  carry  brickbats 
like  that  in  your  pocket  ready  for  the  first  word  that  of 
fends  you  ?  You  must  not  do  so,  when  you  are  with  spies 
from  the  other  side."  I  do  not  feel  at  all  afraid  of  spies 
hearing  anything  through  me,  for  I  do  not  know  anything. 

But  our  men  could  not  tarry  with  us  in  these  cool 
shades  and  comfortable  quarters,  with  water  unlimited,  ex 
cellent  table,  etc.  They  have  gone  back  to  Manassas,  and 
the  faithful  Brewster  with  them  to  bring  us  the  latest  news. 
They  left  us  in  excellent  spirits,  which  we  shared  until  they 
were  out  of  sight.  We  went  with  them  to  Warrenton,  and 
then  heard  that  General  Johnston  was  in  full  retreat,  and 
that  a  column  was  advancing  upon  Beauregard.  So  we 
came  back,  all  forlorn.  If  our  husbands  are  taken  prison 
ers,  what  will  they  do  with  them?  Are  they  soldiers  or 
traitors  ? 

Mrs.  Ould  read  us  a  letter  from  Richmond.  How  hor 
rified  they  are  there  at  Joe  Johnston's  retreating.  And  the 
enemies  of  the  War  Department  accuse  Walker  of  not  send 
ing  General  Johnston  ammunition  in  sufficient  quantities; 
say  that  is  the  real  cause  of  his  retreat.  Now  will  they 
not  make  the  ears  of  that  slow-coach,  the  Secretary  of  War, 
buzz? 

Mrs.  Preston 's  maid  Maria  has  a  way  of  rushing  in — 
"  Don't  you  hear  the  cannon?  "  We  fly  to  the  windows, 
lean  out  to  our  waists,  pull  all  the  hair  away  from  our  ears, 
but  can  not  hear  it.  Lincoln  wants  four  hundred  millions 
of  money  and  men  in  proportion.  Can  he  get  them?  He 
will  find  us  a  heavy  handful.  Midnight.  I  hear  Maria's 
guns. 

We  are  always  picking  up  some  good  thing  of  the  rough 
Illinoisan's  saying.  Lincoln  objects  to  some  man — "  Oh, 
he  is  too  interruptions  ";  that  is  a  horrid  style  of  man  or 

78 


MRS.    DAVIDS   LADIES   DESCRIBED 

woman,  the  inter ruptious.  I  know  the  thing,  but  had  no 
name  for  it  before. 

July  9th. — Our  battle  summer.  May  it  be  our  first  and 
our  last,  so  called.  After  all  we  have  not  had  any  of  the 
horrors  of  war.  Could  there  have  been  a  gayer,  or  pleas- 
anter,  life  than  we  led  in  Charleston.  And  Montgomery, 
how  exciting  it  all  was  there!  So  many  clever  men  and 
women  congregated  from  every  part  of  the  South.  Mos 
quitoes,  and  a  want  of  neatness,  and  a  want  of  good  things 
to  eat,  drove  us  away.  In  Richmond  the  girls  say  it  is  per 
fectly  delightful.  We  found  it  so,  too,  but  the  bickering 
and  quarreling  have  begun  there. 

At  table  to-day  we  heard  Mrs.  Davis 's  ladies  described. 
They  were  said  to  wear  red  frocks  and  flats  on  their  heads. 
We  sat  mute  as  mice.  One  woman  said  she  found  the 
drawing-room  of  the  Spotswood  was  warm,  stuffy,  and 
stifling.  ' '  Poor  soul, ' '  murmured  the  inevitable  Brewster, 
"  and  no  man  came  to  air  her  in  the  moonlight  stroll,  you 
know.  Why  didn't  somebody  ask  her  out  on  the  piazza  to 
see  the  comet?  ':  Heavens  above,  what  philandering  was 
done  in  the  name  of  the  comet !  When  you  stumbled  on  a, 
couple  on  the  piazza  they  lifted  their  eyes,  and  "  comet  " 
was  the  only  word  you  heard.  Brewster  came  back  with 
a  paper  from  Washington  with  terrific  threats  of  what 
they  will  do  to  us.  Threatened  men  live  long. 

There  was  a  soft,  sweet,  low,  and  slow  young  lady  oppo 
site  to  us.  She  seemed  so  gentle  and  refined,  and  so  un 
certain  of  everything.  Mr.  Brewster  called  her  Miss  Albina 
McClush,  who  always  asked  her  maid  when  a  new  book  was 
mentioned,  "  Seraphina,  have  I  perused  that  volume?  " 

Mary  Hammy,  having  a  fiance  in  the  wars,  is  inclined 
at  times  to  be  sad  and  tearful.  Mrs.  Preston  quoted  her 
negro  nurse  to  her:  "  Never  take  any  more  trouble  in 
your  heart  than  you  can  kick  off  at  the  end  of  your  toes." 

July  llth. — We  did  hear  cannon  to-day.  The  woman 
who  slandered  Mrs.  Davis 's  republican  court,  of  which  we 

79 


July  6,  1861  FAUQUIER,    VA.  July  11,  1861 

are  honorable  members,  by  saying  they — well,  were  not 
young ;  that  they  wore  gaudy  colors,  and  dressed  badly — I 
took  an  inventory  to-day  as  to  her,  charms.  She  is  darkly, 
deeply,  beautifully  freckled;  she  wears  a  wig  which  is 
kept  in  place  by  a  tiara  of  mock  jewels ;  she  has  the  fattest 
of  arms  and  wears  black  bead  bracelets. 

The  one  who  is  under  a  cloud,,  shadowed  as  a  Yankee 
spy,  has  confirmed  our  worst  suspicions.  She  exhibited  un 
holy  joy,  as  she  reported  seven  hundred  sick  soldiers  in  the 
hospital  at  Culpeper,  and  that  Beauregard  had  sent  a 
flag  of  truce  to  Washington. 

What  a  night  we  had !  Maria  had  seen  suspicious  per 
sons  hovering  about  all  day,  and  Mrs.  Preston  a  ladder 
which  could  easily  be  placed  so  as  to  reach  our  rooms. 
Mary  Hammy  saw  lights  glancing  about  among  the  trees, 
and  we  all  heard  guns.  So  we  sat  up.  Consequently,  I  am 
writing  in  bed  to-day.  A  letter  from  my  husband  saying, 
in  particular :  '  *  Our  orders  are  to  move  on, ' '  the  date,  July 
10th.  "  Here  we  are  still  and  no  more  prospect  of  move 
ment  now  than  when  I  last  wrote  to  you.  It  is  true,  how 
ever,  that  the  enemy  is  advancing  slowly  in  our  front,  and 
we  are  preparing  to  receive  him.  He  comes  in  great  force, 
being  more  than  three  times  our  number." 

The  spy,  so-called,  gave  us  a  parting  shot :  said  Beaure 
gard  had  arrested  her  brother  in  order  that  he  might  take  a 
fine  horse  which  the  aforesaid  brother  was  riding.  Why? 
Beauregard,  at  a  moment's  notice,  could  have  any  horse  in 
South  Carolina,  or  Louisiana,  for  that  matter.  This  man 
was  arrested  and  sent  to  Richmond,  and  ' '  will  be  acquitted 
as  they  always  are,"  said  Brewster.  "  They  send  them 
first  to  Richmond  to  see  and  hear  everything  there;  then 
they  acquit  them,  and  send  them  out  of  the  country  by  way 
of  Norfolk  to  see  everything  there.  But,  after  all,  what 
does  it  matter  1  They  have  no  need  for  spies :  our  newspa 
pers  keep  no  secrets  hid.  The  thoughts  of  our  hearts  are  all 
revealed.  Everything  with  us  is  open  and  aboveboard. 

80 


A   HORSE   FOR   BEAUREGARD 


"  At  Bethel  the  Yankees  fired  too  high.  Every  daily 
paper  is  jeering  them  about  it  yet.  They'll  fire  low  enough 
next  time,  but  no  newspaper  man  will  be  there  to  get  the 
benefit  of  their  improved  practise,  alas!  " 


81 


IX 

RICHMOND,    VA. 

July  13,  1861—  September  2,  1861 

ICHMOND,  Va.,  July  13,  1861.— Now  we  feel  safe 
and  comfortable.  We  can  not  be  flanked.  Mr.  Pres 
ton  met  us  at  Warrenton.  Mr.  Chesnut  doubtless 
had  too  many  spies  to  receive  from  Washington,  galloping 
in  with  the  exact  numbers  of  the  enemy  done  up  in  their 
back  hair. 

Wade  Hampton  is  here;  Doctor  Nott  also — Nott  and 
Glyddon  known  to  fame.  Everybody  is  here,  en  route  for 
the  army,  or  staying  for  the  meeting  of  Congress. 

Lamar  is  out  on  crutches.  His  father-in-law,  once 
known  only  as  the  humorist  Longstreet,1  author  of  Geor 
gia  Scenes,  now  a  staid  Methodist,  who  has  outgrown  the 
follies  of  his  youth,  bore  him  off  to-day.  They  say  Judge 
Longstreet  has  lost  the  keen  sense  of  fun  that  illuminated 
his  life  in  days  of  yore.  Mrs.  Lamar  and  her  daughter 
were  here. 

The  President  met  us  cordially,  but  he  laughed  at  our 
sudden  retreat,  with  baggage  lost,  etc.  He  tried  to  keep  us 
from  going ;  said  it  was  a  dangerous  experiment.  Dare  say 
he  knows  more  about  the  situation  of  things  than  he 
chooses  to  tell  us. 

To-day  in  the  drawing-room,  saw  a  vivandiere  in  the 

1  Augustus  Baldwin  Longstreet  had  great  distinction  in  the  South 
as  a  lawyer,  clergyman,  teacher,  journalist,  and  author,  and  was  suc 
cessively  president  of  five  different  colleges.  His  Georgia  Scenes,  a 
series  of  humorous  papers,  enjoyed  great  popularity  for  many  years. 

82 


REV.    ROBERT   BARNWELL 


flesh.  She  was  in  the  uniform  of  her  regiment,  but  wore 
Turkish  pantaloons.  She  frisked  about  in  her  hat  and 
feathers;  did  not  uncover  her  head  as  a  man  would  have 
done;  played  the  piano;  and  sang  war-songs.  She  had  no 
drum,  but  she  gave  us  rataplan.  She  was  followed  at 
every  step  by  a  mob  of  admiring  soldiers  and  boys. 

Yesterday,  as  we  left  the  cars,  we  had  a  glimpse  of  war. 
It  was  the  saddest  sight :  the  memory  of  it  is  hard  to  shake 
off — sick  soldiers,  not  wounded  ones.  There  were  quite  two 
hundred  (they  said)  lying  about  as  best  they  might  on  the 
platform.  Robert  Barnwell J  was  there  doing  all  he  could. 
Their  pale,  ghastly  faces !  So  here  is  one  of  the  horrors  of 
war  we  had  not  reckoned  on.  There  were  many  good  men 
and  women  with  Robert  Barnwell,  rendering  all  the  service 
possible  in  the  circumstances. 

Just  now  I  happened  to  look  up  and  saw  Mr.  Chesnut 
with  a  smile  on  his  face  watching  me  from  the  passageway. 
I  flew  across  the  room,  and  as  I  got  half-way  saw  Mrs.  Davis 
touch  him  on  the  shoulder.  She  said  he  was  to  go  at  once 
into  Mr.  Davis 's  room,  where  General  Lee  and  General 
Cooper  were.  After  he  left  us,  Mrs.  Davis  told  me  General 
Beauregard  had  sent  Mr.  Chesnut  here  on  some  army 
business. 

July  14th. — Mr.  Chesnut  remained  closeted  with  the 
President  and  General  Lee  all  the  afternoon.  The  news 
does  not  seem  pleasant.  At  least,  he  is  not  inclined  to  tell 
me  any  of  it.  He  satisfied  himself  with  telling  me  how  sen 
sible  and  soldierly  this  handsome  General  Lee  is.  General 
Lee's  military  sagacity  was  also  his  theme.  Of  course  the 
President  dominated  the  party,  as  well  by  his  weight  of 
brain  as  by  his  position.  I  did  not  care  a  fig  for  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  war  council.  I  wanted  to  know  what  is  in 
the  wind  now  ? 


1  Rev.  Robert  Barnwell,  nephew  of  Hon.  Robert  BaraweHy-estab- 
lished  in  Richmond  a  "hospital  for  South  Carolinians. 

83 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

July  16th. — Dined  to-day  at  the  President's  table.  Joe 
Davis,  the  nephew,  asked  me  if  I  liked  white  port  wine.  I 
said  I  did  not  know ;  ' l  all  that  I  ha,d  ever  known  had  been 
dark  red. "  So  he  poured  me  out  a  glass.  I  drank  it,  and 
it  nearly  burned  up  my  mouth  and  throat.  It  was  horrid, 
but  I  did  not  let  him  see  how  it  annoyed  me.  I  pretended  to 
be  glad  that  any  one  found  me  still  young  enough  to  play 
off  a  practical  joke  upon  me.  It  was  thirty  years  since  I 
had  thought  of  such  a  thing. 

Met  Colonel  Baldwin  in  the  drawing-room.  He  pointed 
significantly  to  his  Confederate  colonel's  buttons  and  gray 
coat.  At  the  White  Sulphur  last  summer  he  was  a  ' '  Union 
man  "  to  the  last  point.  "  How  much  have  you  changed 
besides  your  coat  ?  "  "I  was  always  true  to  our  country, ' ' 
he  said.  "  She  leaves  me  no  choice  now." 

As  far  as  I  can  make  out,  Beauregard  sent  Mr.  Chesnut 
to  the  President  to  gain  permission  for  the  forces  of  Joe 
Johnston  and  Beauregard  to  join,  and,  united,  to  push  the 
enemy,  if  possible,  over  the  Potomac.  Now  every  day  we 
grow  weaker  and  they  stronger;  so  we  had  better  give  a 
telling  blow  at  once.  Already,  we  begin  to  cry  out  for 
more  ammunition,  and  already  the  blockade  is  beginning  to 
shut  it,.all  out. 

A  young  Emory  is  here.  His  mother  writes  him  to  go 
back.  Her  Franklin  blood  certainly  calls  him  with  no  un 
certain  sound  to  the  Northern  side,  while  his  fatherland  is 
wavering  and  undecided,  split  in  half  by  factions.  Mrs. 
Wigf all  says  he  is  half  inclined  to  go.  She  wondered  that 
he  did  not.  With  a  father  in  the  enemy's  army,  he  will 
always  be  "  suspect  "  here,  let  the  President  and  Mrs.  Da 
vis  do  for  him  what  they  will. 

I  did  not  know  there  was  such  a  "  bitter  cry  "  left  in 
me,  but  I  wept  my  heart  away  to-day  when  my  husband 
went  off.  Things  do  look  so  black.  When  he  comes  up 
here  he  rarely  brings  his  body-servant,  a  negro  man.  Law 
rence  has  charge  of  all  Mr.  Chesnut 's  things — watch, 

84 


GENERAL  COOPER  RADIANT 


clothes,  and  two  or  three  hundred  gold  pieces  that  lie  in  the 
tray  of  his  trunk.  All  these,  papers,  etc.,  he  tells  Lawrence 
to  bring  to  me  if  anything  happens  to  him.  But  I  said: 
"  Maybe  he  will  pack  off  to  the  Yankees  and  freedom 
with  all  that."  "  Fiddlesticks!  He  is  not  going  to  leave 
me  for  anybody  else.  After  all,  what  can  he  eveij  be,  bet 
ter  than  he  is  now — a  gentleman's  gentleman?  "  "  He  is 
within  sound  of  the  enemy's  guns,  and  when  he  gets  to  the 
other  army  he  is  free."  Maria  said  of  Mr.  Preston's  man: 
11  What  he  want  with  anything  more,  ef  he  was  free? 
Don't  he  live  just  as  well  as  Mars  John  do  now?  ': 

Mrs.  McLane,  Mrs.  Joe  Johnston,  Mrs.  Wigf  all,  all  came. 
I  am  sure  so  many  clever  women  could  divert  a  soul  in 
extremis.  The  Hampton  Legion  all  in  a  snarl — about,  I 
forget  what;  standing  on  their  dignity,  I  suppose.  I  have 
come  to  detest  a  man  who  says,  '  *  My  own  personal  dignity 
and  self-respect  require."  I  long  to  cry,  "  No  need  to  re 
spect  yourself  until  you  can  make  other  people  do  it." 

July  19th. — Beauregard  telegraphed  yesterday  (they 
say,  to  General  Johnston),  "  Come  down  and  help  us,  or  we 
shall  be  crushed  by  numbers. ' '  The  President  telegraphed 
General  Johnston  to  move  down  to  Beauregard 's  aid.  At 
Bull  Run,  Bonham's  Brigade,  Ewell's,  and  Longstreet's 
encountered  the  foe  and  repulsed  him.  Six  hundred  pris 
oners  have  been  sent  here. 

I  arose,  as  the  Scriptures  say,  and  washed  my  face 
and  anointed  my  head  and  went  down-stairs.  At  the 
foot  of  them  stood  General  Cooper,  radiant,  one  finger  ner 
vously  arranging  his  shirt  collar,  or  adjusting  his  neck  to 
it  after  his  fashion.  He  called  out :  * '  Your  South  Carolina 
man,  Bonham,  has  done  a  capital  thing  at  Bull  Run — driv 
en  back  the  enemy,  if  not  defeated  him;  with  killed  and 
prisoners/'  etc.,  etc.  Clingman  came  to  tell  the  particulars, 
and  Colonel  Smith  (one  of  the  trio  with  Garnett,  McClel- 
lan,  who  were  sent  to  Europe  to  inspect  and  report  on  mil 
itary  matters).  Poor  Garnett  is  killed.  There  was  cow- 

85 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

ardice  or  treachery  on  the  part  of  natives  up  there,  or 
some  of  Governor  Letcher  's  appointments  to  military  posts. 
I  hear  all  these  things  said.  I  dp  not  understand,  but  it 
was  a  fatal  business. 

Mrs.  McLane  says  she  finds  we  do  not  believe  a  word  of 
any  news  unless  it  comes  in  this  guise:  "  A  great  battle 
fought.  Not  one  Confederate  killed.  Enemy's  loss  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners  taken  by  us,  immense."  I 
was  in  hopes  there  would  be  no  battle  until  Mr.  Chesnut 
was  forced  to  give  up  his  amateur  aideship  to  come  and  at 
tend  to  his  regular  duties  in  the  Congress. 

Keitt  has  come  in.  He  says  Bonham  's  battle  was  a  skir 
mish  of  outposts.  Joe  Davis,  Jr.,  said:  "  Would  Heaven 
only  send  us  a  Napoleon!  "  Not  one  bit  of  use.  If 
Heaven  did,  Walker  would  not  give  him  a  commission. 
Mrs.  Davis  and  Mrs.  Joe  Johnston,  "  her  dear  Lydia,"  were 
in  fine  spirits.  The  effect  upon  nous  autres  was  evident; 
we  rallied  visibly.  South  Carolina  troops  pass  every  day. 
They  go  by  with  a  gay  step.  Tom  Taylor  and  John  Rhett 
bowed  to  us  from  their  horses  as  we  leaned  out  of  the  win 
dows.  Such  shaking  of  handkerchiefs.  We  are  forever  at 
the  windows. 

It  was  not  such  a  mere  skirmish.  We  took  three  rifled 
cannon  and  six  hundred  stands  of  arms.  Mr.  Davis  has 
gone  to  Manassas.  He  did  not  let  Wigfall  know  he  was 
going.  That  ends  the  delusion  of  Wigf all's  aideship.  No 
mistake  to-day.  I  was  too  ill  to  move  out  of  my  bed.  So 
they  all  sat  in  my  room. 

July  2 3d. — Mrs.  Davis  came  in  so  softly  that  I  did  not 
know  she  was  here  until  she  leaned  over  me  and  said :  ' '  A 
great  battle  has  been  fought.1  Joe  Johnston  led  the  right 


1  The  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  or  Manassas,  fought  on  July  21,  1861, 
the  Confederates  being  commanded  by  General  Beauregard,  and  the 
Federals  by  General  McDowell.  Bull  Run  is  a  small  stream  tributary 
to  the  Potomac. 


REPORTS   OF   THE    BATTLE 


wing,  and  Beauregard  the  left  wing  of  the  army.  Your 
husband  is  all  right.  Wade  Hampton  is  wounded. 
Colonel  Johnston  of  the  Legion  killed;  so  are  Colonel  Bee 
and  Colonel  Bartow.  Kirby  Smith1  is  wounded  or  killed." 

I  had  no  breath  to  speak ;  she  went  on  in  that  desperate, 
calm  way,  to  which  people  betake  themselves  under  the 
greatest  excitement:  "  Bartow,  rallying  his  men,  leading 
them  into  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  died  gallantly  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment.  The  President  telegraphs  me  only  that  '  it 
is  a  great  victory.'  General  Cooper  has  all  the  other  tele 
grams.  ' ' 

Still  I  said  nothing ;  I  was  stunned ;  then  I  was  so  grate 
ful.  Those  nearest  and  dearest  to  me  were  safe  still.  She 
then  began,  in  the  same  concentrated  voice,  to  read  from  a 
paper  she  held  in  her  hand :  ' '  Dead  and  dying  cover  the 
field.  Sherman's  battery  taken.  Lynchburg  regiment  cut 
to  pieces.  Three  hundred  of  the  Legion  wounded." 

That  got  me  up.  Times  were  too  wild  with  excitement 
to  stay  in  bed.  We  went  into  Mrs.  Preston's  room,  and  she 
made  me  lie  down  on  her  bed.  Men,  women,  and  children 
streamed  in.  Every  living  soul  had  a  story  to  tell.  ' '  Com 
plete  victory,"  you  heard  everywhere.  We  had  been  such 
anxious  wretches.  The  revulsion  of  feeling  was  almost  too 
much  to  bear. 

To-day  I  met  my  friend,  Mr.  Hunter.  I  was  on  my 
way  to  Mrs.  Bartow 's  room  and  begged  him  to  call  at  some 
other  time.  I  was  too  tearful  just  then  for  a  morning  visit 
from  even  the  most  sympathetic  person. 

A  woman  from  Mrs.  Bartow 's  country  was  in  a  fury 
because  they  had  stopped  her  as  she  rushed  to  be  the  first 
to  tell  Mrs.  Bartow  her  husband  was  killed,  it  having  been 


1  Edmund  Kirby  Smith,  a  native  of  Florida,  who  had  graduated 
from  West  Point,  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  been  Professor  of 
Mathematics  at  West  Point.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United 
States  Army  after  the  secession  of  Florida. 

87 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

decided  that  Mrs.  Davis  should  tell  her.  Poor  thing !  She 
was  found  lying  on  her  bed  when  Mrs.  Davis  knocked. 
*  *  Come  in, ' '  she  said.  When  she  saw  it  was  Mrs.  Davis,  she 
sat  up,  ready  to  spring  to  her  feet,  but  then  there  was  some 
thing  in  Mrs.  Davis 's  pale  face  that  took  the  life  out  of  her. 
She  stared  at  Mrs.  Davis,  then  sank  back,  and  covered  her 
face  as  she  asked:  "  Is  it  bad  news  for  me?  "  Mrs.  Davis 
did  not  speak.  "  Is  he  killed?  "  Afterward  Mrs.  Bartow 
said  to  me :  "  As  soon  as  I  saw  Mrs.  Davis 's  face  I  could  not 
say  one  word.  I  knew  it  all  in  an  instant.  I  knew  it  be 
fore  I  wrapped  the  shawl  about  my  head. ' ' 

Maria,  Mrs.  Preston's  maid,  furiously  patriotic,  came 
into  my  room.  "  These  colored  people  say  it  is  printed  in 
the  papers  here  that  the  Virginia  people  done  it  all.  Now 
Mars  Wade  had  so  many  of  his  men  killed  and  he 
wounded,  it  stands  to  reason  that  South  Carolina  was  no 
ways  backward.  If  there  was  ever  anything  plain,  that's 
plain." 

Tuesday. — Witnessed  for  the  first  time  a  military 
funeral.  As  that  march  came  wailing  up,  they  say  Mrs. 
Partow  fainted.  The  empty  saddle  and  the  led  war-horse 
— we  saw  and  heard  it  all,  and  now  it  seems  we  are  never  out 
of  the  sound  of  the  Dead  March  in  Saul.  It  comes  and  it 
comes,  until  I  feel  inclined  to  close  my  ears  and  scream. 

Yesterday,  Mrs.  Singleton  and  ourselves  sat  on  a  bed 
side  and  mingled  our  tears  for  those  noble  spirits — John 
Darby,  Theodore  Barker,  and  James  Lowndes.  To-day  we 
find  we  wasted  our  grief ;  they  are  not  so  much  as  wounded. 
I  dare  say  all  the  rest  is  true  about  them — in  the  face  of  the 
enemy,  with  flags  in  their  hands,  leading  their  men.  '  But 
Dr.  Darby  is  a  surgeon. "  He  is  as  likely  to  forget  that  as  I 
am.  He  is  grandson  of  Colonel  Thomson  of  the  Revolution, 
called,  by  way  of  pet  name,  by  his  soldiers,  "  Old  Danger/' 
Thank  Heaven  they  are  all  quite  alive.  And  we  will  not 
cry  next  time  until  officially  notified. 

July  24th. — Here  Mr.  Chesnut  opened  my  door  and 

88 


STONEWALL   JACKSON 


walked  in.  Out  of  the  fulness  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh.  I  had  to  ask  no  questions.  He  gave  me  an  ac 
count  of  the  battle  as  he  saw  it  (walking  up  and  down  my 
room,  occasionally  seating  himself  on  a  window  sill,  but 
too  restless  to  remain  still  many  moments)  ;  and  told  what 
regiments  he  was  sent  to  bring  up.  He  took  the  orders  to 
Colonel  Jackson,  whose  regiment  stood  so  stock  still  under 
fire  that  they  were  called  a  "  stone  wall."  Also,  they  call 
Beauregard,  Eugene,  and  Johnston,  Marlboro.  Mr.  Ches- 
nut  rode  with  Lay's  cavalry  after  the  retreating  enemy  in 
the  pursuit,  they  following  them  until  midnight.  Then 
there  came  such  a  fall  of  rain — rain  such  as  is  only  known 
in  semitropical  lands. 

In  the  drawing-room,  Colonel  Chesnut  was  the  lt  belle 
of  the  ball  ' ' ;  they  crowded  him  so  for  news.  He  was  the 
first  arrival  that  they  could  get  at  from  the  field  of 
battle.  But  the  women  had  to  give  way  to  the  dignitaries 
of  the  land,  who  were  as  filled  with  curiosity  as  them 
selves — Mr.  Barnwell,  Mr.  Hunter,  Mr.  Cobb,  Captain  In- 
graham,  etc. 

Wilmot  de  Saussure  says  Wilson  of  Massachusetts,  a 
Senator  of  the  United  States,1  came  to  Manassas,  en  route 
to  Richmond,  with  his  dancing  shoes  ready  for  a  festive 
scene  which  was  to  celebrate  a  triumph.  The  New  York 
Tribune  said:  "  In  a  few  days  we  shall  have  Richmond, 
Memphis,  and  New  Orleans.  They  must  be  taken  and  at 
once. ' '  For  ' '  a  few  days  ' '  maybe  now  they  will  modestly 
substitute  ' l  in  a  few  years. ' ' 

They  brought  me  a  Yankee  soldier's  portfolio  from  the 
battle-field.  The  letters  had  been  franked  bv  Senator  Har- 


1  Henry  Wilson,  son  of  a  farm  laborer  and  self-educated,  who  rose 
to  much  prominence  in  the  Anti-Slavery  contests  before  the  war.  He 
was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Massachusetts  in  1855,  holding 
the  office  until  1873,  when  he  resigned,  having  been  elected  Vice-Presi- 
dent  of  the  United  States  on  the  ticket  with  Ulysses  S.  Grant. 

89 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

Ian.1  One  might  shed  tears  over  some  of  the  letters. 
Women,  wives  and  mothers,  are  the  same  everywhere. 
What  a  comfort  the  spelling  was !  We  had  been  willing  to 
admit  that  their  universal  free-School  education  had  put 
them,  rank  and  file,  ahead  of  us  literarily,  but  these  letters 
do  not  attest  that  fact.  The  spelling  is  comically  bad. 

July  27th. — Mrs.  Davis 's  drawing-room  last  night  was 
brilliant,  and  she  was  in  great  force.  Outside  a  mob  called 
for  the  President.  He  did  speak — an  old  war-horse,  who 
scents  the  battle-fields  from  afar.  His  enthusiasm  was  con 
tagious.  They  called  for  Colonel  Chesnut,  and  he  gave 
them  a  capital  speech,  too.  As  public  speakers  say  some 
times,  "  It  was  the  proudest  moment  of  my  life."  I  did 
not  hear  a  great  deal  of  it,  for  always,  when  anything  hap 
pens  of  any  moment,  my  heart  beats  up  in  my  ears,  but  the 
distinguished  Carolinians  who  crowded  round  told  me 
how  good  a  speech  he  made.  I  was  dazed.  There  goes  the 
Dead  March  for  some  poor  soul. 

To-day,  the  President  told  us  at  dinner  that  Mr.  Ches 
nut  's  eulogy  of  Bartow  in  the  Congress  was  highly  praised. 
Men  liked  it.  Two  eminently  satisfactory  speeches  in  twen 
ty-four  hours  is  doing  pretty  well.  And  now  I  could  be 
happy,  but  this  Cabinet  of  ours  are  in  such  bitter  quarrels 
among  themselves — everybody  abusing  everybody. 

Last  night,  while  those  splendid  descriptions  of  the  bat 
tle  were  being  given  to  the  crowd  below  from  our  windows, 
I  said:  "  Then,  why  do  we  not  go  on  to  Washington?  " 
*  You  mean  why  did  they  not;  the  opportunity  is  lost." 
Mr.  Barnwell  said  to  me:  "  Silence,  we  want  to  listen  to 
the  speaker,"  and  Mr.  Hunter  smiled  compassionately, 
"  Don't  ask  awkward  questions." 

Kirby  Smith  came  down  on  the  turnpike  in  the  very 
nick  of  time.  Still,  the  heroes  who  fought  all  day  and 

1  James  Harlan,  United  States  Senator  from  Iowa  from  1855  to 
1865.  In  1865  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 

90 


THE    LAST   OPPORTUNITY 


held  the  Yankees  in  check  deserve  credit  beyond  words,  or 
it  would  all  have  been  over  before  the  Joe  Johnston  contin 
gent  came.  It  is  another  case  of  the  eleventh-hour  scrape ; 
the  eleventh-hour  men  claim  all  the  credit,  and  they  who 
bore  the  heat  and  brunt  and  burden  of  the  day  do  not 
like  that. 

Everybody  said  at  first,  "  Pshaw!  There  will  be  no 
war. ' '  Those  who  foresaw  evil  were  called  ravens,  ill-f  ore- 
boders.  Now  the  same  sanguine  people  all  cry,  "  The  war 
is  over  " — the  very  same  who  were  packing  to  leave  Rich 
mond  a  few  days  ago.  Many  were  ready  to  move  on  at  a 
moment's  warning,  when  the  good  news  came.  There  are 
such  owls  everywhere. 

But,  to  revert  to  the  other  kind,  the  sage  and  circum 
spect,  those  who  say  very  little,  but  that  little  shows  they 
think  the  war  barely  begun.  Mr.  Rives  and  Mr.  Seddon 
have  just  called.  Arnoldus  Van  der  Horst  came  to  see  me 
at  the  same  time.  He  said  there  was  no  great  show  of  vic 
tory  on  our  side  until  two  o'clock,  but  when  we  began  to 
win,  we  did  it  in  double-quick  time.  I  mean,  of  course,  the 
battle  last  Sunday. 

Arnold  Harris  told  Mr.  Wigfall  the  news  from  Wash 
ington  last  Sunday.  For  hours  the  telegrams  reported  at 
rapid  intervals,  "  Great  victory,"  "  Defeating  them  at  all 
points."  The  couriers  began  to  come  in  on  horseback,  and 
at  last,  after  two  or  three  o  'clock,  there  was  a  sudden  cessa 
tion  of  all  news.  About  nine  messengers  with  bulletins 
came  on  foot  or  on  horseback — wounded,  weary,  draggled, 
footsore,  panic-stricken — spreading  in  their  path  on  every 
hand  terror  and  dismay.  That  was  our  opportunity.  Wig- 
fall  can  see  nothing  that  could  have  stopped  us,  and  when 
they  explain  why  we  did  not  go  to  Washington  I  under 
stand  it  all  less  than  ever.  Yet  here  we  will  dilly-dally, 
and  Congress  orate,  and  generals  parade,  until  they  in  the 
North  get  up  an  army  three  times  as  large  as  McDowell's, 
which  we  have  just  defeated. 
8  91 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

Trescott  says  this  victory  will  be  our  ruin.  It  lulls  us 
into  a  fool 's  paradise  of  conceit  at  our  superior  valor,  and 
e  shameful  farce  of  their  flight  will  wake  every  inch  of 
their  manhood.  It  was  the  very  fillip  they  needed.  There 
are  a  quieter  sort  here  who  know  their  Yankees  well.  They 
say  if  the  thing  begins  to  pay — government  contracts,  and 
all  that — we  will  never  hear  the  end  of  it,  at  least,  until 
they  get  their  pay  in  some  way  out  of  us.  They  will  not 
lose  money  by  us.  Of  that  we  may  be  sure.  Trust  Yankee 
shrewdness  and  vim  for  that. 

There  seems  to  be  a  battle  raging  at  Bethel,  but  no  mor 
tal  here  can  be  got  to  think  of  anything  but  Manassas. 
Mrs.  McLean  says  she  does  not  see  that  it  was  such  a  great 
victory,  and  if  it  be  so  great,  how  can  one  defeat  hurt  a 
nation  like  the  North. 

John  Waties  fought  the  whole  battle  over  for  me.  Now 
I  understand  it.  Before  this  nobody  would  take  the  time 
to  tell  the  thing  consecutively,  rationally,  and  in  order. 
Mr.  Venable  said  he  did  not  see  a  braver  thing  done  than 
the  cool  performance  of  a  Columbia  negro.  He  carried  his 
master  a  bucket  of  ham  and  rice,  which  he  had  cooked  for 
him,  and  he  cried :  ' '  You  must  be  so  tired  and  hungry, 
marster ;  make  haste  and  eat. ' '  This  was  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  under  the  heaviest  of  the  enemy 's  guns. 

The  Federal  Congressmen  had  been  making  a  picnic  of 
it:  their  luggage  was  all  ticketed  to  Richmond.  Cameron 
has  issued  a  proclamation.  They  are  making  ready  to  come 
after  us  on  a  magnificent  scale.  They  acknowledge  us  at 
last  foemen  worthy  of  their  steel.  The  Lord  help  us,  since 
England  and  France  won't,  or  don't.  If  we  could  only 
get  a  friend  outside  and  open  a  port. 

One  of  these  men  told  me  he  had  seen  a  Yankee  prisoner, 
who  asked  him  ' '  what  sort  of  a  diggins  Richmond  was  for 
trade."  He  was  tired  of  the  old  concern,  and  would  like 
to  take  the  oath  and  settle  here.  They  brought  us  hand 
cuffs  found  in  the  debacle  of  the  Yankee  army.  For  whom 

92 


ROBERT   E.   LEE 


were  they?  Jeff  Davis,  no  doubt,  and  the  ringleaders. 
'  *  Tell  that  to  the  marines. ' '  We  have  outgrown  the  hand 
cuff  business  on  this  side  of  the  water. 

Dr.  Gibbes  says  he  was  at  a  country  house  near  Manas- 
sas,  when  a  Federal  soldier,  who  had  lost  his  way,  came  in 
exhausted.  He  asked  for  brandy,  which  the  lady  of  the 
house  gave  him.  Upon  second  thought,  he  declined  it.  She 
brought  it  to  him  so  promptly  he  said  he  thought  it  might 
be  poisoned;  his  mind  was;  she  was  enraged,  and  said: 
' '  Sir,  I  am  a  Virginia  woman.  Do  you  think  I  could  be  as 
base  as  that  ?  Here,  Bill,  Tom,  disarm  this  man.  He  is  our 
prisoner. "  The  negroes  came  running,  and  the  man  sur 
rendered  without  more  ado. 

Another  Federal  was  drinking  at  the  well.  A  negro 
girl  said :  ' '  You  go  in  and  see  Missis. ' '  The  man  went  in 
and  she  followed,  crying  triumphantly :  ' '  Look  here,  Mis 
sis,  I  got  a  prisoner,  too !  ' '  This  lady  sent  in  her  two  pris 
oners,  and  Beauregard  complimented  her  on  her  pluck  and 
patriotism,  and  her  presence  of  mind.  These  negroes  were 
rewarded  by  their  owners. 

Now  if  slavery --4s-  as  disagreeable  to  negroes  as  we  think 
it,  why  don 't  they  all  march  over  the  border  where  they 
would  be  received  with  open  arms?  It  all  amazes  me.  I 
am  always  studying  these  creatures.  They  are  to  me  in 
scrutable  in  their  way  and  past  finding  out.  Our  negroes 
were  not  ripe  for  John  Brown. 

This  is  how  I  saw  Robert  E.  Lee  for  the  first  time: 
though  his  family,  then  living  at  Arlington,  called  to  see 
me  while  I  was  in  Washington  (I  thought  because  of  old 
Colonel  Chesnut's  intimacy  with  Nellie  Custis  in  the  old 
Philadelphia  days,  Mrs.  Lee  being  Nelly  Custis 's  niece),  I 
had  not  known  the  head  of  the  Lee  family.  He  was  some 
where  with  the  army  then. 

Last  summer  at  the  White  Sulphur  were  Roony  Lee  and 
his  wife,  that  sweet  little  Chailotte  Wickam,  and  I  spoke  of 
Roony  with  great  praise.  Mrs.  Izard  said:  "  Don't  waste 

93 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

your  admiration  on  him ;  wait  till  you  see  his  father.  He 
is  the  nearest  to  a  perfect  man  I  ever  saw."  "How?  " 
"  In  every  way — handsome,  clever,  agreeable,  high-bred." 

Now,  Mrs.  Stanard  came  for  Mrs.  Preston  and  me  to 
drive  to  the  camp  in  an  open  carriage.  A  man  riding  a 
beautiful  horse  joined  us.  He  wore  a  hat  with  something 
of  a  military  look  to  it,  sat  his  horse  gracefully,  and  was 
so  distinguished  at  all  points  that  I  very  much  regretted 
not  catching  his  name  as  Mrs.  Stanard  gave  it  to  us.  He, 
however,  heard  ours,  and  bowed  as  gracefully  as  he  rode, 
and  the  few  remarks  he  made  to  each  of  us  showed  he  knew 
all  about  us. 

But  Mrs.  Stanard  was  in  ecstasies  of  pleasurable  excite 
ment.  I  felt  that  she  had  bagged  a  big  fish,  for  just  then 
they  abounded  in  Richmond.  Mrs.  Stanard  accused  him 
of  being  ambitious,  etc.  He  remonstrated  and  said  his 
tastes  were  "  of  the  simplest."  He  only  wanted  "  a  Vir 
ginia  farm,  no  end  of  cream  and  fresh  butter  and  fried 
chicken — not  one  fried  chicken,  or  two,  but  unlimited  fried 
chicken. ' ' 

To  all  this  light  chat  did  we  seriously  incline,  be 
cause  the  man  and  horse  and  everything  about  him  were 
so  fine-looking;  perfection,  in  fact;  no  fault  to  be  found  if 
you  hunted  for  it.  As  he  left  us,  I  said  eagerly,  "  Who  is 
he?  "  "  You  did  not  know!  Why,  it  was  Robert  E.  Lee, 
son  of  Light  Horse  Harry  Lee,  the  first  man  in  Virginia," 
raising  her  voice  as  she  enumerated  his  glories.  All  the 
same,  I  like  Smith  Lee  better,  and  I  like  his  looks,  too.  I 
know  Smith  Lee  well.  Can  anybody  say  they  know  his 
brother  ?  I  doubt  it.  He  looks  so  cold,  quiet,  and  grand. 

Kirby  Smith  is  our  Bliicher ;  he  came  on  the  field  in  the 
nick  of  time,  as  Bliicher  at  Waterloo,  and  now  we  are  as  the 
British,  who  do  not  remember  Bliicher.  It  is  all  Welling 
ton.  So  every  individual  man  I  see  fought  and  won  the 
battle.  From  Kershaw  up  and  down,  all  the  eleventh-hour 
men  won  the  battle;  turned  the  tide.  The  Marylanders — 

94 


"  STONEWALL  "   JACKSON. 


)SKPH    E.    JOHNSTON. 


JOHN   B.    HOOD.  ALBERT    SIDNEY   JOHNSTON. 

A  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  GENERALS. 


JUDGE   WIGFALL   AND   MR.    DAVIS 

Elzey  &  Co. — one  never  hears  of — as  little  as  one  hears  of 
Bliicher  in  the  English  stories  of  Waterloo. 

Mr.  Venable  was  praising  Hugh  Garden  and  Kershaw's 
regiment  generally.  This  was  delightful.  They  are  my 
friends  and  neighbors  at  home.  I  showed  him  Mary  Stark 's 
letter,  and  we  agreed  with  her.  At  the  bottom  of  our  hearts 
we  believe  every  Confederate  soldier  to  be  a  hero,  sans  peur 
et  sans  reproche. 

Hope  for  the  best  to-day.     Things  must  be  on  a  pleas-    ( 
anter  footing  all  over  the  world.    Met  the  President  in  the   1 
corridor.     He  took  me  by  both  hands.     "Have  you  break 
fasted?  "  said  he.     "  Come  in  and  breakfast  with  me?  " 
Alas !  I  had  had  my  breakfast. 

At  the  public  dining-room,  where  I  had  taken  my  break 
fast  with  Mr.  Chesnut,  Mrs.  Davis  came  to  him,  while  we 
were  at  table.  She  said  she  had  been  to  our  rooms.  She 
wanted  Wigfall  hunted  up.  Mr.  Davis  thought  Chesnut 
would  be  apt  to  know  his  whereabouts.  I  ran  to  Mrs.  Wig- 
fairs  room,  who  told  me  she  was  sure  he  could  be  found 
with  his  regiment  in  camp,  but  Mr.  Chesnut  had  not  to  go  to 
the  camp,  for  Wigfall  came  to  his  wife's  room  while  I  was 
there.  Mr.  Davis  and  Wigfall  would  be  friends,  if — if— 

The  Northern  papers  say  we  hung  and  quartered  a 
Zouave ;  cut  him  into  four  pieces ;  and  that  we  tie  prisoners 
to  a  tree  and  bayonet  them.  In  other  words,  we  are  sav 
ages.  It  ought  to  teach  us  not  to  credit  what  our  papers 
say  of  them.  It  is  so  absurd  an  imagination  of  evil.  We  are 
absolutely  treating  their  prisoners  as  well  as  our  own  men : 
we  are  complained  of  for  it  here.  I  am  going  to  the  hos 
pitals  for  the  enemy 's  sick  and  wounded  in  order  to  see  for 
myself. 

Why  did  we  not  follow  the  flying  foe  across  the  Poto 
mac?  That  is  the  question  of  the  hour  in  the  drawing- 
room  with  those  of  us  who  are  not  contending  as  to  "  who 
took  Rickett's  Battery?  "  Allen  Green,  for  one,  took  it. 
Allen  told  us  that,  finding  a  portmanteau  with  nice  clean 

95 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

shirts,  he  was  so  hot  and  dusty  he  stepped  behind  a  tree 
and  put  on  a  clean  Yankee  shirt,  and  was  more  comfortable. 

The  New  York  Tribune  soothes  the  Yankee  self-conceit, 
which  has  received  a  shock,  by  saying  we  had  100,000  men 
on  the  field  at  Manassas ;  we  had  a^out  15,000  effective  men 
in  all.  And  then,  the  Tribune  tries  to  inflame  and  envenom 
them  against  us  by  telling  lies  as  to  our  treatment  of  pris 
oners.  They  say  when  they  come  against  us  next  it  will  be 
in  overwhelming  force.  I  long  to  see  Russell 's  letter  to  the 
London  Times  about  Bull  Run  and  Manassas.  It  will  be 
rich  and  rare.  In  Washington,  it  is  crimination  and  re 
crimination.  Well,  let  them  abuse  one  another  to  their 
hearts'  content. 

August  1st.— Mrs.  Wigfall,  with  the  "  Lone  Star  "  flag 
in  her  carriage,  called  for  me.  We  drove  to  the  fair 
grounds.  Mrs.  Davis 's  landau,  with  her  spanking  bays, 
rolled  along  in  front  of  us.  The  fair  grounds  are  as  cov 
ered  with  tents,  soldiers,  etc.,  as  ever.  As  one  regiment 
moves  off  to  the  army,  a  fresh  one  from  home  comes  to  be 
mustered  in  and  take  its  place. 

The  President,  with  his  aides,  dashed  by.  My  husband 
was  riding  with  him.  The  President  presented  the  flag  to 
the  Texans.  Mr.  Chesnut  carne  to  us  for  the  flag,  and  bore 
it  aloft  to  the  President.  We  seemed  to  come  in  for  part  of 
the  glory.  We  were  too  far  off  to  hear  the  speech,  but  Jeff 
Davis  is  very  good  at  that  sort  of  thing,  and  we  were  sat 
isfied  that  it  was  well  done. 

Heavens!  how  that  redoubtable  Wigfall  did  rush  those 
poor  Texans  about!  He  maneuvered  and  marched  them 
until  I  was  weary  for  their  sakes.  Poor  fellows;  it  was  a 
hot  afternoon  in  August  and  the  thermometer  in  the  nine 
ties.  Mr.  Davis  uncovered  to  speak.  Wigfall  replied  with 
his  hat  on.  Is  that  military  ? 

At  the  fair  grounds  to-day,  such  music,  mustering,  and 
marching,  such  cheering  and  flying  of  flags,  such  firing  of 
guns  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  A  gala  day  it  wavS,  with 

96 


TOOMBS    UNHORSED,   MOUNTS   AGAIN 

double-distilled  Fourth-of-July  feeling.  In  the  midst  of 
it  all,  a  messenger  came  to  tell  Mrs.  Wigfall  that  a  telegram 
had  been  received,  saying  her  children  were  safe  across  the 
lines  in  Gordonsville.  That  was  something  to  thank  God 
for,  without  any  doubt. 

These  two  little  girls  came  from  somewhere  in  Connecti 
cut,  with  Mrs.  Wigf all's  sister — the  one  who  gave  me  my 
Bogotsky,  the  only  person  in  the  world,  except  Susan  Rut- 
ledge  who  ever  seemed  to  think  I  had  a  soul  to  save.  Now 
suppose  Seward  had  held  Louisa  and  Fanny  as  hostages 
for  Louis  Wigfall 's  good  behavior ;  eh  ? 

Excitement  number  two :  that  bold  brigadier,  the  Geor 
gia  General  Toombs,  charging  about  too  recklessly,  got 
thrown.  His  horse  dragged  him  up  to  the  wheels  of  our 
carriage.  For  a  moment  it  was  frightful.  Down  there 
among  the  horses'  hoofs  was  a  face  turned  up  toward  us, 
purple  with  rage.  His  foot  was  still  in  the  stirrup,  and  he 
had  not  let  go  the  bridle.  The  horse  was  prancing  over  him, 
tearing  and  plunging ;  everybody  was  hemming  him  in,  and 
they  seemed  so  slow  and  awkward  about  it.  We  felt  it  an 
eternity,  looking  down  at  him,  and  expecting  him  to  be 
killed  before  our  very  faces.  However,  he  soon  got  it  all 
straight,  and,  though  awfully  tousled  and  tumbled,  dusty, 
rumpled,  and  flushed,  with  redder  face  and  wilder  hair 
than  ever,  he  rode  oft'  gallantly,  having  to  our  admiration 
bravely  remounted  the  recalcitrant  charger. 

Now  if  I  were  to  pick  out  the  best  abused  one,  where  all 
catch  it  so  bountifully,  I  should  say  Mr.  Commissary-Gen 
eral  Northrop  was  the  most  '  *  cussed  ' '  and  villified  man  in 
the  Confederacy.  He  is  held  accountable  for  everything 
that  goes  wrong  in  the  army.  He  may  not  be  efficient,  but 
having  been  a  classmate  and  crony  of  Jeff  Davis  at  West 
Point,  points  the  moral  and  adorns  the  tale.  I  hear  that 
alluded  to  oftenest  of  his  many  crimes.  They  say  Beaure- 
gard  writes  that  his  army  is  upon  the  verge  of  starvation. 
Here  every  man,  woman,  and  child  is  ready  to  hang  to  the 

97 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1*61 

first  lamp-post  anybody  of  whom  that  army  complains. 
Every  Manassas  soldier  is  a  hero  dear  to  our  patriotic 
hearts.  Put  up  with  any  neglect  of  the  heroes  of  the  21st 
July — never ! 

And  now  they  say  we  did  not  move  on  right  after  the 
flying  foe  because  we  had  no  provisions,  no  wagons,  no 
ammunition,  etc.  Rain,  mud,  and  Northrop.  Where  were 
the  enemy's  supplies  that  we  bragged  so  of  bagging?  Echo 
answers  where  ?  Where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way.  We 
stopped  to  plunder  that  rich  convoy,  and  somehow,  for  a 
day  or  so,  everybody  thought  the  war  was  over  and  stopped 
to  rejoice:  so  it  appeared  here.  All  this  was  our  dinner- 
table  talk  to-day.  Mr.  Mason  dined  with  us  and  Mr.  Barn- 
well  sits  by  me  always.  The  latter  reproved  me  sharply, 
but  Mr.  Mason  laughed  at  "  this  headlong,  unreasonable 
woman 's  harangue  and  female  tactics  and  their  war- ways. ' ' 
A  freshet  in  the  autumn  does  not  compensate  for  a  drought 
in  the  spring.  Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man,  and  there 
was  a  tide  in  our  affairs  which  might  have  led  to  Washing 
ton,  and  we  did  not  take  it  and  lost  our  fortune  this 
round.  Things  which  nobody  could  deny. 

McClellan  virtually  supersedes  the  Titan  Scott. 
Physically  General  Scott  is  the  largest  man  I  ever  saw. 
Mrs.  Scott  said,  "  nobody  but  his  wife  could  ever  know 
how  little  he  was."  And  yet  they  say,  old  Winneld  Scott 
could  have  organized  an  army  for  them  if  they  had  had 
patience.  They  would  not  give  him  time. 

August  3d. — Prince  Jerome  1  has  gone  to  Washington. 
Now  the  Yankees  so  far  are  as  little  trained  as  we  are ;  raw 
troops  are  they  as  yet.  Suppose  France  takes  the  other  side 

1  Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  a  grandson  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte's 
brother  Jerome  and  of  Elizabeth  Patterson  of  Baltimore.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  West  Point,  but  had  entered  the  French  Army,  where  he 
saw  service  in  the  Crimea,  Algiers,  and  Italy,  taking  part  in  the  battle 
of  Balaklava,  the  siege  of  Sebastopol,  and  the  battle  of  Solferino.  He 
died  in  Massachusetts  in  1893. 

98 


BEAUREGARD   AND   JORDAN: 

and  we  have  to  meet  disciplined  and  armed  men,  soldiers 
who  understand  war,  Frenchmen,  with  all  the  elan  we 
boast  of. 

Ransom  Calhoun,  Willie  Preston,  and  Doctor  Nott's 
boys  are  here.  These  foolish,  rash,  hare-brained  Southern 
lads  have  been  within  an  ace  of  a  fight  with  a  Maryland 
company  for  their  camping  grounds.  It  is  much  too  Irish 
to  be  so  ready  to  fight  anybody,  friend  or  foe.  Men  are 
thrilling  with  fiery  ardor.  The  red-hot  Southern  martial 
spirit  is  in  the  air.  These  young  men,  however,  were  all 
educated  abroad.  And  it  is  French  or  German  ideas  that 
they  are  filled  with.  The  Marylanders  were  as  rash  and 
reckless  as  the  others,  and  had  their  coat-tails  ready  for 
anybody  to  tread  on,  Donny brook  Fair  fashion.  One  would 
think  there  were  Yankees  enough  and  to  spare  for  any  kill 
ing  to  be  done.  It  began  about  picketing  their  horses.  But 
these  quarrelsome  young  soldiers  have  lovely  manners. 
They  are  so  sweet-tempered  when  seen  here  among  us  at 
the  Arlington. 

August  5th. — A  heavy,  heavy  heart.  Another  missive 
from  Jordan,  querulous  and  fault-finding;  things  are  all 
wrong — Beauregard's  Jordan  had  been  crossed,  not  the 
stream  "  in  Canaan's  fair  and  happy  land,  where  our  pos 
sessions  lie. ' '  They  seem  to  feel  that  the  war  is  over  here, 
except  the  President  and  Mr.  Barnwell ;  above  all  that  fore 
boding  friend  of  mine,  Captain  Ingraham.  He  thinks  it 
hardly  begun. 

Another  outburst  from  Jordan.  Beauregard  is  not  sec 
onded  properly.  Helas!  To  think  that  any  mortal  gen 
eral  (even  though  he  had  sprung  up  in  a  month  or  so  from 
captain  of  artillery  to  general)  could  be  so  puffed  up  with 
vanity,  so  blinded  by  any  false  idea  of  his  own  consequence 
as  to  write,  to  intimate  that  man,  or  men,  would  sacrifice 
their  country,  injure  themselves,  ruin  their  families,  to 
spite  the  aforesaid  general !  Conceit  and  self-assertion  can 
never  reach  a  higher  point  than  that.  And  yet  they  give 

99 


RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2, 


you  to  understand  I\Ir.  Davis  does  riot  like  Beauregard.  In 
point  of  fact  they  fancy  he  is  jealous  of  him,  and  rather 
than  Beauregard  shall  have  a  showing  the  President  (who 
would  be  hanged  at  least  if  things  go  wrong)  will  cripple 
the  army  to  spite  Beauregard.  Mr.  Mallory  says,  4'  How 
we  could  laugh,  but  you  see  it  is  no  laughing  matter  to  have 
our  fate  in  the  hands  of  such  self-sufficient,  vain,  army 
idiots."  So  the  amenities  of  life  are  spreading. 

In  the  meantime  we  seem  to  be  resting  on  our  oars,  de 
bating  in  Congress,  while  the  enterprising  Yankees  are 
quadrupling  their  army  at  their  leisure.  Every  day  some 
of  our  regiments  march  away  from  here.  The  town  is 
crowded  with  soldiers.  These  new  ones  are  fairly  running 
in  ;  fearing  the  war  will  be  over  before  they  get  a  sight  of 
the  fun.  Every  man  from  every  little  precinct  wants  a 
place  in  the  picture. 

Tuesday.  —  The  North  requires  600,000  men  to  invade  us. 
Truly  we  are  a  formidable  power!  The  Herald  says  it  is 
useless  to  move  with  a  man  less  than  that.  England  has  made 
it  all  up  with  them,  or  rather,  she  will  not  break  with  them. 
Jerome  Napoleon  is  in  Washington  and  not  our  friend. 

Doctor  Gibbes  is  a  bird  of  ill  omen.  To-day  he  tells  me 
eight  of  our  men  have  died  at  the  Charlottesville  Hospital. 
It  seems  sickness  is  more  redoubtable  in  an  army  than  the 
enemy's  guns.  There  are  1,100  there  liors  de  combat,  and 
typhoid  fever  is  with  them.  They  want  money,  clothes, 
and  nurses.  So,  as  I  am  writing,  right  and  left  the  letters 
fly,  calling  for  help  from  the  sister  societies  at  home.  Good 
and  patriotic  women  at  home  are  easily  stirred  to  their  work. 

Mary  Hammy  has  many  strings  to  her  bow  —  a  fiance  in 
the  army,  and  Doctor  Berrien  in  town.  To-day  she  drove 
out  with  Major  Smith  and  Colonel  Hood.  Yesterday,  Cus- 
tis  Lee  was  here.  She  is  a  prudent  little  puss  and  needs  no 
good  advice,  if  I  were  one  to  give  it. 

Lawrence  does  all  our  shopping.  All  his  master's  money 
has  been  in  his  hands  until  now.  I  thought  it  injudicious 

100 


A   SWORD   FROM   BULL  *  HUN 


when  gold  is  at  such  a  premium  to  leave  it  lying  loose  in 
the  tray  of  a  trunk.  So  I  have  sewed  it  up  in  a  belt,  which 
I  can  wear  upon  an  emergency.  The  cloth  is  wadded  and 
my  diamonds  are  there,  too.  It  has  strong  strings,  and  can 
be  tied  under  my  hoops  about  my  waist  if  the  worst  comes 
to  the  worst,  as  the  saying  is.  Lawrence  wears  the  same 
bronze  mask.  No  sign  of  anything  he  may  feel  or  think  of 
my  latest  fancy.  Only,  I  know  he  asks  for  twice  as  much 
money  now  when  he  goes  to  buy  things. 

August  8th. — To-day  I  saw  a  sword  captured  at  Manas- 
sas.  The  man  who  brought  the  sword,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  fray,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Yankees.  They 
stripped  him,  possessed  themselves  of  his  sleeve-buttons, 
and  were  in  the  act  of  depriving  him  of  his  boots  when  the 
rout  began  and  the  play  was  reversed;  proceedings  then 
took  the  opposite  tack. 

From  a  small  rill  in  the  mountain  has  flowed  the  mighty 
stream  which  has  made  at  last  Louis  Wigfall  the  worst 
enemy  the  President  has  in  the  Congress,  a  fact  which  com 
plicates  our  affairs  no  little.  Mr.  Davis 's  hands  ought  to 
be  strengthened ;  he  ought  to  be  upheld.  A  divided  house 
must  fall,  we  all  say. 

Mrs.  Sam  Jones,  who  is  called  Becky  by  her  friends  and 
cronies,  male  and  female,  said  that  Mrs.  Pickens  had  con 
fided  to  the  aforesaid  Jones  (nee  Taylor,  and  so  of  the 
President  Taylor  family  and  cousin  of  Mr.  Davis 's  first 
wife),  that  Mrs.  Wigfall  "  described  Mrs.  Davis  to  Mrs. 
Pickens  as  a  coarse  Western  woman. ' '  Now  the  fair  Lucy 
Holcombe  and  Mrs.  Wigfall  had  a  quarrel  of  their  own  out 
in  Texas,  and,  though  reconciled,  there  was  bitterness  un 
derneath.  At  first,  Mrs.  Joe  Johnston  called  Mrs.  Davis 
"  a  Western  belle/'1  but  when  the  quarrel  between  Gen- 


1  Mrs.  Davis  was  born  in  Natchez,  Mississippi,  and  educated  in 
Philadelphia.  She  was  married  to  Mr.  Davis  in  1845.  In  recent  years 
her  home  has  been  in  New  York  City,  where  she  still  resides  (Dec.  1904). 

101 


;  fiiCHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 


eral  Johnston  and  the  President  broke  out,  Mrs.  Johnston 
took  back  the  '  '  belle  '  '  and  substituted  *  l  woman  '  '  in  the 
narrative  derived  from  Mrs.  Jones. 

Commodore  Barron  *•  came  with  glad  tidings.  We  had 
taken  three  prizes  at  sea,  and  brought  them  in  safely,  one 
laden  with  molasses.  General  Toombs  told  us  the  President 
complimented  Mr.  Chesnut  when  he  described  the  battle 
scene  to  his  Cabinet,  etc.  General  Toombs  is  certain  Colonel 
Chesnut  will  be  made  one  of  the  new  batch  of  brigadiers. 
Next  came  Mr.  Clayton,  who  calmly  informed  us  Jeff  Davis 
would  not  get  the  vote  of  this  Congress  for  President,  so 
we  might  count  him  out. 

Mr.  Meynardie  first  told  us  how  pious  a  Christian  sol 
dier  was  Kershaw,  how  he  prayed,  got  up,  dusted  his  knees 
and  led  his  men  on  to  victory  with  a  dash  and  courage 
equal  to  any  Old  Testament  mighty  man  of  war. 

Governor  Manning's  account  of  Prince  Jerome  Napo 
leon:  "  He  is  stout  and  he  is  not  handsome.  Neither 
is  he  young,  and  as  he  reviewed  our  troops  he  was  ter 
ribly  overheated.''  He  heard  him  say  "  en  avant,"  of 
that  he  could  testify  of  his  own  knowledge,  and  he  was 
told  he  had  been  heard  to  say  with  unction  "  Allons  " 
more  than  once.  The  sight  of  the  battle-field  had  made 
the  Prince  seasick,  and  he  received  gratefully  a  draft  of 
fiery  whisky. 

Arrago  seemed  deeply  interested  in  Confederate  statis 
tics,  and  praised  our  doughty  deeds  to  the  skies.  It  was 
but  soldier  fare  our  guests  received,  though  we  did  our 
best.  It  was  hard  sleeping  and  worse  eating  in  camp. 
Beauregard  is  half  Frenchman  and  speaks  French  like  a 
native.  So  one  awkward  mess  was  done  away  with,  and  it 
was  a  comfort  to  see  Beauregard  speak  without  the  agony 


1  Samuel  Barren  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  had  risen  to  be 
a  captain  in  the  United  States  Navy.  At  the  time  of  Secession  he 
received  a  commission  as  Commodore  in  the  Confederate  Navy. 

102 


OPPOSITION   TO   MR.    DAVIS 


of  finding  words  in  the  foreign  language  and  forming  them, 
with  damp  brow,  into  sentences.  A  different  fate  befell 
others  who  spoke  "  a  little  French." 

General  and  Mrs.  Cooper  came  to  see  us.  She  is  Mrs. 
Smith  Lee's  sister.  They  were  talking  of  old  George  Ma 
son — in  Virginia  a  name  to  conjure  with.  George  Mason 
violently  opposed  the  extension  of  slavery.  He  was  a  thor 
ough  aristocrat,  and  gave  as  his  reason  for  refusing  the 
blessing  of  slaves  to  the  new  States,  Southwest  and  North 
west,  that  vulgar  new  people  were  unworthy  of  so  sacred  a 
right  as  that  of  holding  slaves.  It  was  not  an  institution 
intended  for  such  people  as  they  were.  Mrs.  Lee  said : 
"  After  all,  what  good  does  it  do  my  sons  that  they  are 
Light  Horse  Harry  Lee's  grandsons  and  George  Mason's? 
I  do  not  see  that  it  helps  them  at  all." 

A  friend  in  Washington  writes  me  that  we  might  have- 
walked  into  Washington  any  day  for  a  week  after  Manassas, 
such  were  the  consternation  and  confusion  there.  But  the 
god  Pan  was  still  blowing  his  horn  in  the  woods.  Now  she 
says  Northern  troops  are  literally  pouring  in  from  all  quar 
ters.  The  horses  cover  acres  of  ground.  And  she  thinks 
we  have  lost  our  chance  forever. 

A  man  named  Grey  (the  same  gentleman  whom  Sec 
retary  of  War  Walker  so  astonished  by  greeting  him  with, 
"  Well,  sir,  and  what  is  your  business?  ")  described  the 
battle  of  the  21st  as  one  succession  of  blunders,  redeemed  by 
the  indomitable  courage  of  the  two-thirds  who  did  not  run 
away  on  our  side.  Doctor  Mason  said  a  fugitive  on  the 
other  side  informed  him  that  "  a  million  of  men  with  the 
devil  at  their  back  could  not  have  whipped  the  rebels  at 
Bull  Run."  That's  nice. 

There  must  be  opposition  in  a  free  country.  But  it  is 
very  uncomfortable.  "  United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall." 
Mrs.  Davis  showed  us  in  The  New  York  Tribune  an  extract 
from  an  Augusta  (Georgia)  paper  saying,  "  Cobb  is  our 
man.  Davis  is  at  heart  a  reconstructionist. "  We  may  be 

103 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

flies  on  the  wheel,  we  know  our 'insignificance ;  but  Mrs. 
Preston  and  myself  have  entered  into  an  agreement;  our 
oath  is  recorded  on  high.  We  mean  to  stand  by  our  Presi 
dent  and  to  stop  all  fault-finding  with  the  powers  that  be, 
if  we  can  and  where  we  can,  be  the  fault-finders  generals 
or  Cabinet  Ministers. 

August  13lh. — Hon.  Robert  Barnwell  says,  "  The  Mer 
cury's  influence  began  this  opposition  to  Jeff  Davis  before 
he  had  time  to  do  wrong.  They  were  offended,  not  with  him 
so  much  as  with  the  man  who  was  put  into  what  they  con 
sidered  Barnwell  Rhett's  rightful  place.  The  latter  had 
howled  nullification  and  secession  so  long  that  when  he 
found  his  ideas  taken  up  by  all  the  Confederate  world,  he 
felt  he  had  a  vested  right  to  leadership/' 

Jordan,  Beauregard's  aide,  still  writes  to  Mr.  Chesnut 
that  the  mortality  among  the  raw  troops  in  that  camp  is 
fearful.  Everybody  seems  to  be  doing  all  they  can.  Think 
of  the  British  sick  and  wounded  away  off  in  the  Crimea. 
Our  people  are  only  a  half -day's  journey  by  rail  from 
Richmond.  With  a  grateful  heart  I  record  the  fact  of  rec 
onciliation  with  the  Wigfalls.  They  dined  at  the  Presi 
dent's  yesterday  and  the  little  Wigfall  girls  stayed  all 
night. 

Seward  is  feting  the  outsiders,  the  cousin  of  the  Em 
peror,  Napoleon  III.,  and  Russell,  of  the  omnipotent  Lon 
don  Times. 

August  14th. — Last  night  there  was  a  crowd  of  men  to 
see  us  and  they  were  so  markedly  critical.  I  made  a  futile 
effort  to  record  their  sayings,  but  sleep  and  heat  overcame 
me.  To-day  I  can  not  remember  a  word.  One  of  Mr.  Ma 
son's  stories  relates  to  our  sources  of  trustworthy  informa 
tion.  A  man  of  very  respectable  appearance  standing  on 
the  platform  at  the  depot,  announced,  '  *  I  am  just  from  the 
seat  of  war."  Out  came  pencil  and  paper  from  the  news 
paper  men  on  the  qui  vive.  il  Is  Fairfax  Court  House 
burned?  "  they  asked.  "  Yes,  burned  yesterday."  "  But 

104 


BEAUTIFUL    MRS.    RANDOLPH 


I  am  just  from  there,"  said  another;  "  left  it  standing 
there  all  right  an  hour  or  so  ago. "  "  Oh !  But  I  must  do 
them  justice  to  say  they  burned  only  the  tavern,  for  they 
did  not  want  to  tear  up  and  burn  anything  else  after  the 
railroad."  "  There  is  no  railroad  at  Fairfax  Court 
House,"  objected  the  man  just  from  Fairfax.  "Oh!  In 
deed!  "  said  the  seat-of-war  man,  "  I  did  not  know  that; 
is  that  so  ?  ' :  And  he  coolly  seated  himself  and  began  talk 
ing  of  something  else. 

Our  people  are  lashing  themselves  into  a  fury  against 
the  prisoners.  Only  the  mob  in  any  country  would  do  that. 
But  I  am  told  to  be  quiet.  Decency  and  propriety  will  not 
be  forgotten,  and  the  prisoners  will  be  treated  as  prisoners 
of  war  ought  to  be  in  a  civilized  country. 

August  15th. — Mrs.  Randolph  came.  With  her  were  the 
Freelands,  Rose  and  Maria.  The  men  rave  over  Mrs. 
Randolph's  beauty;  called  her  a  magnificent  specimen  of 
the  finest  type  of  dark-eyed,  rich,  and  glowing  Southern 
woman-kind.  Clear  brunette  she  is,  with  the  reddest  lips, 
the  whitest  teeth,  and  glorious  eyes ;  there  is  no  other  word 
for  them.  Having  given  Mrs.  Randolph  the  prize  among 
Southern  beauties,  Mr.  Clayton  said  Prentiss  was  the  finest 
Southern  orator.  Mr.  Marshall  and  Mr.  Barnwell  dissent 
ed;  they  preferred  William  C.  Preston.  Mr.  Chesnut  had 
found  Colquitt  the  best  or  most  effective  stump  orator. 

Saw  Henry  Deas  Nott.  He  is  just  from  Paris,  via  New 
York.  Says  New  York  is  ablaze  with  martial  fire.  At  no 
time  during  the  Crimean  war  was  there  ever  in  Paris  the 
show  of  soldiers  preparing  for  the  war  such  as  he  saw  at 
New  York.  The  face  of  the  earth  seemed  covered  with 
marching  regiments. 

Not  more  than  500  effective  men  are  in  Hampton 's  Le 
gion,  but  they  kept  the  whole  Yankee  army  at  bay  until 
half -past  two.  Then  just  as  Hampton  was  wounded  and 
half  his  colonels  shot,  Cash  and  Kershaw  (from  Mrs.  Smith 
Lee  audibly,  "  How  about  Kirby  Smith?  ")  dashed  in  and 

105 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

not  only  turned  the  tide,  but  would  have  driven  the  fugi 
tives  into  Washington,  but  Beauregard  recalled  them.  Mr. 
Chesnut  finds  all  this  very  amusing,  as  he  posted  many  of 
the  regiments  and  all  the  time  was  carrying  orders  over  the 
field.  The  discrepancies  in  all  these  private  memories  amuse 
him,  but  he  smiles  pleasantly  and  lets  every  man  tell  the 
tale  in  his  own  way. 

August  16th. — Mr.  Barnwell  says,  Fame  is  an  article 
usually  home  made ;  you  must  create  your  own  puffs  or  su 
perintend  their  manufacture.  And  you  must  see  that  the 
newspapers  print  your  own  military  reports.  No  one  else 
will  give  you  half  the  credit  you  take  to  yourself.  No  one 
will  look  after  your  fine  name  before  the  world  with  the 
loving  interest  and  faith  you  have  yourself. 

August  17th. — Captain  Shannon,  of  the  Kirkwood  Rang 
ers,  called  and  stayed  three  hours.  Has  not  been  under  fire 
yet,  but  is  keen  to  see  or  to  hear  the  flashing  of  the  guns; 
proud  of  himself,  proud  of  his  company,  but  proudest  of  all 
that  he  has  no  end  of  the  bluest  blood  of  the  low  country  in 
his  troop.  He  seemed  to  find  my  knitting  a  pair  of  socks  a 
day  for  the  soldiers  droll  in  some  way.  The  yarn  is  coarse. 
He  has  been  so  short  a  time  from  home  he  does  not  know  how 
the  poor  soldiers  need  them.  He  was  so  overpoweringly 
flattering  to  my  husband  that  I  found  him  very  pleasant 
company. 

August  18th. — Found  it  quite  exciting  to  have  a  spy 
drinking  his  tea  with  us — perhaps  because  I  knew  his  pro 
fession.  I  did  not  like  his  face.  He  is  said  to  have  a 
scheme  by  which  Washington  will  fall  into  our  hands  like 
an  overripe  peach. 

Mr.  Barnwell  urges  Mr.  Chesnut  to  remain  in  the  Sen 
ate.  There  are  so  many  generals,  or  men  anxious  to  be.  He 
says  Mr.  Chesnut  can  do  his  country  most  good  by  wise 
counsels  where  they  are  most  needed.  I  do  not  say  to  the 
contrary ;  I  dare  not  throw  my  influence  on  the  army  side, 
for  if  anything  happened ! 

106 


ONE   PAIR   OF   SOCKS   A   DAY 


Mr.  Miles  told  us  last  night  that  he  had  another  letter 
from  General  Beauregard.  The  General  wants  to  know 
if  Mr.  Miles  has  delivered  his  message  to  Colonel  Kershaw. 
Mr.  Miles  says  he  has  not  done  so ;  neither  does  he  mean  to 
do  it.  They  must  settle  these  matters  of  veracity  according 
to  their  own  military  etiquette.  He  is  a  civilian  once  more. 
It  is  a  foolish  wrangle.  Colonel  Kershaw  ought  to  have  re 
ported  to  his  commander-in-chief,  and  not  made  an  inde 
pendent  report  and  published  it.  He  meant  no  harm.  He 
is  not  yet  used  to  the  fine  ways  of  war. 

The  New  York  Tribune,  is  so  unfair.  It  began  by  howl 
ing  to  get  rid  of  us :  we  were  so  wicked.  Now  that  we  are 
so  willing  to  leave  them  to  their  overrighteous  self-con 
sciousness,  they  cry :  ' '  Crush  our  enemy,  or  they  will  sub 
jugate  us."  The  idea  that  we  want  to  invade  or  subjugate 
anybody;  we  would  be  only  too  grateful  to  be  left  alone. 
We  ask  no  more  of  gods  or  men. 

Went  to  the  hospital  with  a  carriage  load  of  peaches  and 
grapes.  Made  glad  the  hearts  of  some  men  thereby.  When 
my  supplies  gave  out,  those  who  had  none  looked  so  wist 
fully  as  I  passed  out  that  I  made  a  second  raid  on  the  mar 
ket.  Those  eyes  sunk  in  cavernous  depths  and  following  me 
from  bed  to  bed  haunt  me. 

Wilmot  de  Saussure,  harrowed  my  soul  by  an  account 
of  a  recent  death  by  drowning  on  the  beach  at  Sullivan's 
Island.  Mr.  Porcher,  who  was  trying  to  save  his  sister's 
life,  lost  his  own  and  his  child's.  People  seem  to  die  out 
of  the  army  quite  as  much  as  in  it. 

Mrs.  Randolph  presided  in  all  her  beautiful  majesty  at 
an  aid  association.  The  ladies  were  old,  and  all  wanted 
their  own  way.  They  were  cross-grained  and  contradictory, 
and  the  blood  mounted  rebelliously  into  Mrs.  Randolph's 
clear-cut  cheeks,  but  she  held  her  own  with  dignity  and 
grace.  One  of  the  causes  of  disturbance  was  that  Mrs.  Ran 
dolph  proposed  to  divide  everything  sent  on  equally  with 
the  Yankee  wounded  and  sick  prisoners.  Some  were  enthu 
se  107 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

siastic  from  a  Christian  point  of  View ;  some  shrieked  in 
wrath  at  the  bare  idea  of  putting  our  noble  soldiers  on  a  par 
with  Yankees,  living,  dying,  or  dead.  Fierce  dames  were 
some  of  them,  august,  severe  matrons,  who  evidently  had  not 
been  accustomed  to  hear  the  other  side  of  any  question  from 
anybody,  and  just  old  enough  to  find  the  last  pleasure  in 
life  to  reside  in  power — the  power  to  make  their  claws  felt. 

August  23d. — A  brother  of  Doctor  Garnett  has  come 
fresh  and  straight  from  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  says  (or  is 
said  to  have  said,  with  all  the  difference  there  is  between  the 
two),  that  "  recruiting  up  there  is  dead."  He  came  by 
Cincinnati  and  Pittsburg  and  says  all  the  way  through  it 
was  so  sad,  mournful,  and  quiet  it  looked  like  Sunday. 

I  asked  Mr.  Brewster  if  it  were  true  Senator  Toombs 
had  turned  brigadier.  "  Yes,  soldiering  is  in  the  air. 
Every  one  will  have  a  touch  of  it.  Toombs  could  not  stay 
in  the  Cabinet."  "  Why?  "  "  Incompatibility  of  tem 
per.  He  rides  too  high  a  horse;  that  is,  for  so  despotic  a 
person  as  Jeff  Davis.  I  have  tried  to  find  out  the  sore,  but 
I  can't.  Mr.  Toombs  has  been  out  with  them  all  for 
months."  Dissension  will  break  out.  Everything  does, 
but  it  takes  a  little  time.  There  is  a  perfect  magazine  of 
discord  and  discontent  in  that  Cabinet;  only  wants  a  hand 
to  apply  the  torch,  and  up  they  go.  Toombs  says  old  Mem- 
minger  has  his  back  up  as  high  as  any. 

Oh,  such  a  day!  Since  I  wrote  this  morning,  I  have 
been  with  Mrs.  Randolph  to  all  the  hospitals.  I  can  never 
again  shut  out  of  view  the  sights  I  saw  there  of  human 
misery.  I  sit  thinking,  shut  my  eyes,  and  see  it  all ;  think 
ing,  yes,  and  there  is  enough  to  think  about  now,  God 
knows.  Gilland's  was  the  worst,  with  long  rows  of  ill  men 
on  cots,  ill  of  typhoid  fever,  of  every  human  ailment;  on 
dinner-tables  for  eating  and  drinking,  wounds  being 
dressed ;  all  the  horrors  to  be  taken  in  at  one  glance. 

Then  we  went  to  the  St.  Charles.  Horrors  upon  hor 
rors  again;  want  of  organization,  long  rows  of  dead  and 

108 


JOHN    BRIGHTS   SPEECHES 


dy ing.  ;_8JEf ill  sights.  A  boy  from  home  had  sent  for  me. 
He  was  dying  in  a  cot,  ill  of  fever.  Next  him  a  man  died 
in  convulsions  as  we  stood  there.  I  was  making  arrange 
ments  with  a  nurse,  hiring  him  to  take  care  of  this  lad ;  but 
I  do  not  remember  any  more,  for  I  fainted.  Next  that  I 
knew  of,  the  doctor  and  Mrs.  Randolph  were  having  me,  a 
limp  rag,  put  into  a  carriage  at  the  door  of  the  hospital. 
Fresh  air,  I  dare  say,  brought  me  to.  As  we  drove  home 
the  doctor  came  along  with  us,  I  was  so  upset.  He  said: 
1 '  Look  at  that  Georgia  regiment  marching  there ;  look  at 
their  servants  on  the  sidewalk.  I  have  been  counting  them, 
making  an  ertimate.  There  is  $16,000 — sixteen  thousand 
dollars '  worth  of  negro  property  which  can  go  off  on  its 
own  legs  to  the  Yankees  whenever  it  pleases." 

August  24th. — Daniel,  of  The  Examiner,  was  at  the 
President's.  Wilmot  de  Saussure  wondered  if  a  fellow  did 
not  feel  a  little  queer,  paying  his  respects  in  person  at  the 
house  of  a  man  whom  he  abused  daily  in  his  newspaper. 

A  fiasco:  an  aide  engaged  to  two  young  ladies  in  the 
same  house.  The  ladies  had  been  quarreling,  but  became 
friends  unexpectedly  when  his  treachery,  among  many 
other  secrets,  was  revealed  under  that  august  roof.  Fancy 
the  row  when  it  all  came  out. 

Mr.  Lowndes  said  we  have  already  reaped  one  good  re 
sult  from  the  war.  The  orators,  the  spouters,  the  furious 
patriots,  that  could  hardly  be  held  down,  and  who  were  so 
wordily  anxious  to  do  or  die  for  their  country — they  had 
been  the  pest  of  our  lives.  Now  they  either  have  not  tried 
the  battle-field  at  all,  or  have  precipitately  left  it  at  their 
earliest  convenience :  for  very  shame  we  are  rid  of  them  for 
a  while.  I  doubt  it.  Bright 's  speech1  is  dead  against  us. 
Reading  this  does  not  brighten  one. 

1  The  reference  is  to  John  Bright,  whose  advocacy  of  the  cause  of 
the  Union  in  the  British  Parliament  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention 
at  the  time. 

109 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

August  25th. — Mr.  Barnwell  says  democracies  lead  to 
untruthfulness.  To  be  always  electioneering  is  to  be  al 
ways  false;  so  both  we  and  the  Yankees  are  unreliable  as 
regards  our  own  exploits.  "  How  about  empires?  Were 
there  ever  more  stupendous  lies  than  the  Emperor  Napo 
leon's?  "  Mr.  Barnwell  went  on:  "  People  dare  not  tell 
the  truth  in  a  canvass ;  they  must  conciliate  their  constit 
uents.  Now  everybody  in  a  democracy  always  wants  an 
office;  at  least,  everybody  in  Richmond  just  now  seems  to 
want  one."  Never  heeding  interruptions,  he  went  on: 
"  As  a  nation,  the  English  are  the  most  truthful  in  the 
world. "  "  And  so  are  our  country  gentlemen :  they  own 
their  constituents — at  least,  in  some  of  the  parishes,  where 
there  are  few  whites;  only  immense  estates  peopled  by 
negroes/'  Thackeray  speaks  of  the  lies  that  were  told 
on  both  sides  in  the  British  wars  with  France;  England 
kept  quite  alongside  of  her  rival  in  that  fine  art.  England 
lied  then  as  fluently  as  Russell  lies  about  us  now. 

Went  to  see  Agnes  De  Leon,  my  Columbia  school  friend. 
She  is  fresh  from  Egypt,  and  I  wished  to  hear  of  the  Nile, 
the  crocodiles,  the  mummies,  the  Sphinx,  and  the  Pyramids. 
But  her  head  ran  upon  Washington  life,  such  as  we  knew 
it,  and  her  soul  was  here.  No  theme  was  possible  but  a  dis 
cussion  of  the  latest  war  news. 

Mr.  Clayton,  Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  says  we 
spend  two  millions  a  week.  Where  is  all  that  money  to 
come  from?  They  don't  .want  us  to  plant  cotton,  but  to 
make  provisions.  Now,  cotton  always  means  money,  or  did 
when  there  was  an  outlet  for  it  and  anybody  to  buy  it. 
Where  is  money  to  come  from  now  ? 

Mr.  Barnwell 's  new  joke,  I  dare  say,  is  a  Joe  Miller, 
but  Mr.  Barnwell  laughed  in  telling  it  till  he  cried.  A  man 
was  fined  for  contempt  of  court  and  then,  his  case  coming 
on,  the  Judge  talked  such  arrant  nonsense  and  was  so 
warped  in  his  mind  against  the  poor  man,  that  the  "  fined 
one  "  walked  up  and  handed  the  august  Judge  a  five-dollar 

110 


THE  TALE   AS   IT   IS   TOLD 


bill.  "  Why?  What  is  that  for?  "  said  the  Judge.  "  Oh, 
I  feel  such  a  contempt  of  this  court  coming  on  again !  ' ' 

I  came  up  tired  to  death;  took  down  my  hair;  had  it 
hanging  over  me  in  a  Crazy  Jane  fashion;  and  sat  still, 
hands  over  my  head  (half  undressed,  but  too  lazy  and 
sleepy  to  move).  I  was  sitting  in  a  rocking-chair  by  an 
open  window  taking  my  ease  and  the  cool  night  air,  when 

suddenly  the  door  opened  and  Captain  walked  in. 

He  was  in  the  middle  of  the  room  before  he  saw  his  mistake ; 
he  stared  and  was  transfixed,  as  the  novels  say.  I  dare  say 
I  looked  an  ancient  Gorgon.  Then,  with  a  more  frantic 
glare,  he  turned  and  fled  without  a  word.  I  got  up  and 
bolted  the  door  after  him,  and  then  looked  in  the  glass  and 
laughed  myself  into  hysterics.  I  shall  never  forget  to  lock 
the  door  again.  But  it  does  not  matter  in  this  case.  I 
looked  totally  unlike  the  person  bearing  my  name,  who, 
covered  with  lace  cap,  etc.,  frequents  the  drawing-room.  I 
doubt  if  he  would  know  me  again. 

August  26th. — The  Terror  has  full  swing  at  the  North 
now.  All  the  papers  favorable  to  us  have  been  suppressed. 
How  long  would  our  mob  stand  a  Yankee  paper  here? 
But  newspapers  against  our  government,  such  as  the  Ex 
aminer  and  the  Mercury  flourish  like  green  bay-trees.  A 
man  up  to  the  elbows  in  finance  said  to-day:  "  Clayton's 
story  is  all  nonsense.  They  do  sometimes  pay  out  two  mil 
lions  a  week ;  they  paid  the  soldiers  this  week,  but  they  don't 
pay  the  soldiers  every  week. "  * '  .Not  by  a  long  shot, ' '  cried 
a  soldier  laddie  with  a  grin. 

'  '  Why  do  you  write  in  your  diary  at  all, ' '  some  one  said 
to  me,  "  if,  as  you  say,  you  have  to  contradict  every  day 
what  you  wrote  yesterday?  "  "  Because  I  tell  the  tale  as 
it  is  told  to  me.  I  write  current  rumor.  I  do  not  vouch  for 
anything. ' ' 

We  went  to  Pizzini's,  that  very  best  of  Italian  confec 
tioners.  From  there  we  went  to  Miss  Sally  Tornpkins's 
hospital,  loaded  with  good  things  for  the  wounded.  The 

111 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

men  under  Miss  Sally 's  kind  care  Tboked  so  clean  and  com 
fortable — cheerful,  one  might  say.  They  were  pleasant  and 
nice  to  see.  One,  however,  was  dismal  in  tone  and  aspect, 
and  he  repeated  at  intervals  with  no  change  of  words,  in  a 
forlorn  monotone :  '  *  What  a  hard  time  we  have  had  since 
we  left  home/'  But  nobody  seemed  to  heed  his  wailing, 
and  it  did  not  impair  his  appetite. 

At  Mrs.  Toombs's,  who  was  raging;  so  anti-Davis  she 
will  not  even  admit  that  the  President  is  ill.  "  All  hum 
bug."  *  But  what  good  could  pretending  to  be  ill  do 
him?  "  *  That  reception  now,  was  not  that  a  humbug? 
Such  a  failure.  Mrs.  Reagan  could  have  done  better  than 
that." 

Mrs.  Walker  is  a  Montgomery  beauty,  with  such  mag 
nificent  dresses.  She  was  an  heiress,  and  is  so  dissatisfied 
with  Richmond,  accustomed  as  she  is  to  being  a  belle  under 
different  conditions.  As  she  is  as  handsome  and  well 
dressed  as  ever,  it  must  be  the  men  who  are  all  wrong. 

1  'Did  you  give  Lawrence  that  fifty-dollar  bill  to  go  out 
and  change  it?  "  I  was  asked.  "  Suppose  he  takes  himself 
off  to  the  Yankees.  He  would  leave  us  with  not  too  many 
fifty-dollar  bills."  He  is  not  going  anywhere,  however.  I 
think  his  situation  suits  him.  That  wadded  belt  of  mine, 
with  the  gold  pieces  quilted  in,  has  made  me  ashamed  more 
than  once.  I  leave  it  under  my  pillow  and  my  maid  finds 
it  there  and  hangs  it  over  the  back  of  a  chair,  in  evidence 
as  I  reenter  the  room  after  breakfast.  When  I  forget  and 
leave  my  trunk  open,  Lawrence  brings  me  the  keys  and  tells 
me,  "  You  oughten  to  do  so,  Miss  Mary."  Mr.  Chesnut 
leaves  all  his  little  money  in  his  pockets,  and  Lawrence  says 
that's  why  he  can't  let  any  one  but  himself  brush  Mars 
Jeems's  clothes. 

August  27th. — Theodore  Barker  and  James  Lowndes 
came ;  the  latter  has  been  wretchedly  treated.  A  man  said, 
"  All  that  I  wish  on  earth  is  to  be  at  peace  and  on  my  own 
plantation,"  to  which  Mr.  Lowndes  replied  quietly,  "  I 

112 


"  SALLY "   ARCHER   OF   PRINCETON   COLLEGE 

wish  I  had  a  plantation  to  be  on,  but  just  now  I  can't  see 
how  any  one  would  feel  justified  in  leaving  the  army. "  Mr. 
Barker  was  bitter  against  the  spirit  of  braggadocio  so  ram 
pant  among  us.  The  gentleman  who  had  been  answered  so 
completely  by  James  Lowndes  said,  with  spitefulness : 
"  Those  women  who  are  so  frantic  for  their  husbands  to 
join  the  army  would  like  them  killed,  no  doubt. " 

Things  were  growing  rather  uncomfortable,  but  an  in 
terruption  came  in  the  shape  of  a  card.  An  old  classmate 
of  Mr.  Chesnut's — Captain  Archer,  just  now  fresh  from 
California — followed  his  card  so  quickly  that  Mr.  Chesnut 
had  hardly  time  to  tell  us  that  in  Princeton  College  they 
called  him  "  Sally  "  Archer  he  was  so  pretty — when  he  en 
tered.  He  is  good-looking  still,  but  the  service  and  conse 
quent  rough  life  have  destroyed  all  softness  and  girlish- 
ness.  He  will  never  be  so  pretty  again. 

The  North  is  consolidated ;  they  move  as  one  man,  with 
no  States,  but  an  army  organized  by  the  central  power. 
Eussell  in  the  Northern  camp  is  cursed  of  Yankees  for  that 
Bull  Run  letter.  Russell,  in  his  capacity  of  Englishman, 
despises  both  sides.  He  divides  us  equally  into  North  and 
South.  He  prefers  to  attribute  our  victory  at  Bull  Run  to 
Yankee  cowardice  rather  than  to  Southern  courage.  He 
gives  no  credit  to  either  side;  for  good  qualities,  we  are 
after  all  mere  Americans !  Everything  not  '  *  national  ' '  is 
arrested.  It  looks  like  the  business  of  Seward. 

I  do  not  know  when  I  have  seen  a  woman  without  knit 
ting  in  her  hand.  Socks  for  the  soldiers  is  the  cry.  One 
poor  man  said  he  had  dozens  of  socks  and  but  one  shirt. 
He  preferred  more  shirts  and  fewer  stockings.  We  make 
a  quaint  appearance  with  this  twinkling  of  needles  and  the 
everlasting  sock  dangling  below. 

They  have  arrested  Wm.  B.  Reed  and  Miss  Winder,  she 
boldly  proclaiming  herself  a  secessionist.  Why  should  she 
seek  a  martyr's  crown?  Writing  people  love  notoriety.  It 
is  so  delightful  to  be  of  enough  consequence  to  be  arrested. 

113 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

I  have  often  wondered  if  such  incense  was  ever  offered  as 
Napoleon's  so-called  persecution  and  alleged  jealousy  of 
Madame  de  Stael. 


Russell  once  more,  to  whom  London,  Paris,  and  India 
have  been  an  every-day  sight,  and  every-night,  too,  streets 
and  all.  How  absurd  for  him  to  go  on  in  indignation  be 
cause  there  have  been  women  on  negro  plantations  who 
were  not  vestal  virgins.  Negro  women  get  married,  and 
after  marriage  behave  as  well  as  other  people.  Marrying  is 
the  amusement  of  their  lives.  They  take  life  easily ;  so  do 
their  class  everywhere.  Bad  men  are  hated  here  as  else 
where. 

"  I  hate  slavery.  I  hate  a  man  who —  You  say  there 
'are  no  more  fallen  women  on  a  plantation  than  in  London 
in  proportion  to  numbers.  But  what  do  you  say  to  this 
—to  a  magnate  who  runs  a  hideous  black  harem,  with  its 
consequences,  under  the  same  roof  with  his  lovely  white 
wife  and  his  beautiful  and  accomplished  daughters?  He 
holds  his  head  high  and  poses  as  the  model  of  all  human  vir 
tues  to  these  poor  women  whom  God  and  the  laws  have 
given  him.  From  the  height  of  his  awful  majesty  he  scolds 
and  thunders  at  them  as  if  he  never  did  wrong  in  his  life. 
Fancy  such  a  man  finding  his  daughter  reading  Don 
Juan.  '  You  with  that  immoral  book!  '  he  would  say, 
and  then  he  would  order  her  out  of  his  sight.  You  see  Mrs. 
Stowe  did  not  hit  the  sorest  spot.  She  makes  Legree  a 
bachelor."  "  Remember  George  II.  and  his  likes." 

* '  Oh,  I  know  half  a  Legree — a  man  said  to  be  as  cruel  as 
Legree,  but  the  other  half  of  him  did  not  correspond.  He 
was  a  man  of  polished  manners,  and  the  best  husband  and 
father  and  member  of  the  church  in  the  world."  "  Can 
that  be  so?  " 

1  Yes,  I  know  it.  Exceptional  case,  that  sort  of  thing, 
always.  And  I  knew  the  dissolute  half  of  Legree  well.  He 

114 


PLANTATION   IMMORALITY 


was  high  and  mighty,  but  the  kindest  creature  to  his  slaves. 
And  the  unfortunate  results  of  his  bad  ways  were  not  sold, 
had  not  to  jump  over  ice-blocks.  They  were  kept  in  full 
view,  and  provided  for  handsomely  in  his  will." 

"  The  wife  and  daughters  in  the  might  of  their  purity 
and  innocence  are  supposed  never  to  dream  of  what  is  as 
plain  before  their  eyes  as  the  sunlight,  and  they  play  their 
parts  of  unsuspecting  angels  to  the  letter.  They  profess  to 
adore  the  father  as  the  model  of  all  saintly  goodness." 
1 '  Well,  yes ;  if  he  is  rich  he  is  the  fountain  from  whence  all 
blessings  flow." 

"  The  one  I  have  in  my  eye — my  half  of  Legree,  the  dis 
solute  half — was  so  furious  in  temper  and  thundered  his 
wrath  so  at  the  poor  women,  they  were  glad  to  let  him 
do  as  he  pleased  in  peace  if  they  could  only  escape  his 
everlasting  fault-finding,  and  noisy  bluster,  making  every 
body  so  uncomfortable."  "  Now — now,  do  you  know  any 
woman  of  this  generation  who  would  stand  that  sort  of 
thing?  No,  never,  not  for  one  moment.  The  make-believe 
angels  were  of  the  last  century.  We  know,  and  we  won't 
have  it." 

"  The  condition  of  women  is  improving,  it  seems." 
"  Women  are  brought  up  not  to  judge  their  fathers  or 
their  husbands.  They  take  them  as  the  Lord  provides  and 
are  thankful." 

* '  If  they  should  not  go  to  heaven  after  all ;  think  what 
lives  most  women  lead. "  ' '  No  heaven,  no  purgatory,  no — 
the  other  thing?  Never.  I  believe  in  future  rewards  and 
punishments. ' ' 

'  How  about  the  wives  of  drunkards  ?  I  heard  a  woman 
say  once  to  a  friend  of  her  husband,  tell  it  as  a  cruel  matter 
of  fact,  without  bitterness,  without  comment,  '  Oh,  you 
have  not  seen  him !  He  has  changed.  He  has  not  gone  to 
bed  sober  in  thirty  years. '  She  has  had  her  purgatory,  if 
not  '  the  other  thing,'  here  in  this  world.  We  all  know 
what  a  drunken  man  is.  To  think,  for  no  crime,  a  person 

115 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

may  be  condemned  to  live  with  one  thirty  years. "  ' '  You 
wander  from  the  question  I  asked.  Are  Southern  men 
worse  because  of  the  slave  system  and  the  facile  black 
women?  "  "  Not  a  bit.  They  see  too  much  of  them.  The 
barroom  people  don 't  drink,  the  confectionery  people  loathe 
candy.  They  are  sick  of  the  black  sight  of  them. " 

"  You  think  a  nice  man  from  the  South  is  the  nicest 
thing  in  the  world  ?  "  '  *  I  know  it.  Put  him  by  any  other 
man  and  see!  " 


Have  seen  Yankee  letters  taken  at  Manassas.  The  spell 
ing  is  often  atrocious,  and  we  thought  they  had  all  gone 
through  a  course  of  blue-covered  Noah  Webster  spelling- 
books.  Our  soldiers  do  spell  astonishingly.  There  is  Horace 
Greeley:  they  say  he  can't  read  his  own  handwriting.  But 
he  is  candid  enough  and  disregards  all  time-serving.  He 
says  in  his  paper  that  in  our  army  the  North  has  a  hard 
nut  to  crack,  and  that  the  rank  and  file  of  our  army  is 
superior  in  education  and  general  intelligence  to  theirs. 

My  wildest  imagination  will  not  picture  Mr.  Mason  *  as 
a  diplomat.  He  will  say  chaw  for  chew,  and  he  will  call 
himself  Jeems,  and  he  will  wear  a  dress  coat  to  breakfast. 
Over  here,  whatever  a  Mason  does  is  right  in  his  own  eyes. 
He  is  above  law.  Somebody  asked  him  how  he  pronounced 
his  wife's  maiden  name:  she  was  a  Miss  Chew  from  Phila 
delphia. 

1  James  Murray  Mason  was  a  grandson  of  George  Mason,  and  had 
been  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Virginia  in  1847.  In  1851 
he  drafted  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  His  mission  to  England  in  1861 
was  shared  by  John  Slidell.  On  November  8,  1861,  while  on  board  the 
British  steamer  Trent,  in  the  Bahamas,  they  were  captured  by  an 
American  named  Wilkes,  and  imprisoned  in  Boston  until  January  2, 
1862.  A  famous  diplomatic  difficulty  arose  with  England  over  this 
affair.  John  Slidell  was  a  native  of  New  York,  who  had  settled  in  Loui 
siana  and  became  a  Member  of  Congress  from  that  State  in  1843.  In 
1853  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

116 


MASON   AND   SLIDELL 


They  say  the  English  will  like  Mr.  Mason;  he  is  so 
manly,  so  straightforward,  so  truthful  and  bold.  "  A  fine 
old  English  gentleman,"  so  said  Russell  to  me,  "  but  for 
tobacco."  "  I  like  Mr.  Mason  and  Mr.  Hunter  better  than 
anybody  else."  "  And  yet  they  are  wonderfully  unlike." 
11  Now  you  just  listen  to  me,"  said  I.  "Is  Mrs.  Davis  in 
hearing — no?  Well,  this  sending  Mr.  Mason  to  London  is 
the  maddest  thing  yet.  Worse  in  some  points  of  view  than 
Yancey,  and  that  was  a  catastrophe." 

August  29th. — No  more  feminine  gossip,  but  the  li 
censed  slanderer,  the  mighty  Russell,  of  the  Times.  He 
says  the  battle  of  the  21st  was  fought  at  long  range :  500 
yards  apart  were  the  combatants.  The  Confederates  were 
steadily  retreating  when  some  commotion  in  the  wagon 
train  frightened  the  "  Yanks,"  and  they  made  tracks.  In 
good  English,  they  fled  amain.  And  on  our  side  we  were 
too  frightened  to  follow  them — in  high-flown  English,  to 
pursue  the  flying  foe. 

In  spite  of  all  this,  there  are  glimpses  of  the  truth 
sometimes,  and  the  story  leads  to  our  credit  with  all  the 
sneers  and  jeers.  When  he  speaks  of  the  Yankees'  coward 
ice,  falsehood,  dishonesty,  and  braggadocio,  the  best  words 
are  in  his  mouth.  He  repeats  the  thrice-told  tale,  so  often 
refuted  and  denied,  that  we  were  harsh  to  wounded  pris 
oners.  Dr.  Gibson  told  me  that  their  surgeon-general  has 
written  to  thank  our  surgeons:  Yankee  officers  write  very 
differently  from  Russell.  I  know  that  in  that  hospital  with 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  they  were  better  off  than  our  men 
were  at  the  other  hospitals :  that  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes. 
These  poor  souls  are  jealously  guarded  night  and  day. 
It  is  a  hideous  tale — what  they  tell  of  their  sufferings. 

Women  who  come  before  the  public  are  in  a  bad  box 
now.  False  hair  is  taken  off  and  searched  for  papers. 
Bustles  are  "  suspect."  All  manner  of  things,  they  say, 
come  over  the  border  under  the  huge  hoops  now  worn;  so 
they  are  ruthlessly  torn  off.  Not  legs  but  arms  are  looked 

117 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

• 

for  under  hoops,  and,  sad  to  say,  found.  Then  women  are 
used  as  detectives  and  searchers,  to  see  that  no  men  slip 
over  in  petticoats.  So  the  poor  creatures  coming  this  way 
are  humiliated  to  the  deepest  degree.  To  men,  glory, 
honor,  praise,  and  power,  if  they  are  patriots.  To  women, 
daughters  of  Eve,  punishment  comes  still  in  some  shape,  do 
what  they  will. 

Mary  Hammy's  eyes  were  starting  from  her  head  with 
amazement,  while  a  very  large  and  handsome  South  Caro 
linian  talked  rapidly.  "  What  is  it?  "  asked  I  after  he  had 
gone.  : '  Oh,  what  a  year  can  bring  forth — one  year !  Last 
summer  you  remember  how  he  swore  he  was  in  love  with 
me  ?  He  told  you,  he  told  me,  he  told  everybody,  and  if  I 
did  refuse  to  marry  him  I  believed  him.  Now  he  says  he 
has  seen,  fallen  in  love  with,  courted,  and  married  another 
person,  and  he  raves  of  his  little  daughter's  beauty.  And 
they  say  time  goes  slowly  ' ;  — thus  spoke  Mary  Hammy , 
with  a  sigh  of  wonder  at  his  wonderful  cure. 

'  Time  works  wonders,"  said  the  explainer-general. 
"  What  conclusion  did  you  come  to  as  to  Southern  men  at 
the  grand  pow-wow,  you  know?  "  "  They  are  nicer  than 
the  nicest — the  gentlemen,  you  know.  There  are  not  too 
many  of  that  kind  anywhere.  Ours  are  generous,  truthful, 
brave,  and — and — devoted  to  us,  you  know.  A  Southern 
husband  is  not  a  bad  thing  to  have  about  the  house. ' ' 

Mrs.  Frank  Hampton  said :  ' '  For  one  thing,  you  could 
not  flirt  with  these  South  Carolinians.  They  would  not 
stay  at  the  tepid  degree  of  flirtation.  They  grow  so  hor 
ridly  in  earnest  before  you  know  where  you  are."  "  Do 
you  think  two  married  people  ever  lived  together  without 
finding  each  other  out?  I  mean,  knowing  exactly  how 
good  or  how  shabby,  how  weak  or  how  strong,  above  all, 
how  selfish  each  was?  "  "  Yes;  unless  they  are  dolts,  they 
know  to  a  tittle;  but  you  see  if  they  have  common  sense 
they  make  believe  and  get  on,  so  so."  Like  the  Marchion 
ess's  orange-peel  wine  in  Old  Curiosity  Shop. 

118 


"LITTLE    MAC" 


A  violent  attack  upon  the  North  to-day  in  the  Albion. 
They  mean  to  let  freedom  slide  a  while  until  they  subjugate 
us.  The  Albion  says  they  use  lettres  de  cachet,  passports, 
and  all  the  despotic  apparatus  of  regal  governments.  Rus 
sell  hears  the  tramp  of  the  coming  man — the  king  and 
kaiser  tyrant  that  is  to  rule  them.  Is  it  McClellan? — 
"  Little  Mac  "?  We  may  tremble  when  he  comes.  We 
down  here  have  only  "  the  many-headed  monster  thing, " 
armed  democracy.  Our  chiefs  quarrel  among  themselves. 

McClellan  is  of  a  forgiving  spirit.  He  does  not  resent 
Russell 's  slurs  upon  Yankees,  but  with  good  policy  has  Rus 
sell  with  him  as  a  guest. 

The  Adonis  of  an  aide  avers,  as  one  who  knows,  that 
' '  Sumter  ' '  Anderson 's  heart  is  with  us ;  that  he  will  not 
fight  the  South.  After  all  is  said  and  done  that  sounds  like 
nonsense.  "  Sumter  "  Anderson's  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Governor  Clinch,  of  Georgia.  Does  that  explain  it?  He 
also  told  me  something  of  Garnett  (who  was  killed  at  Rich 
Mountain).1  He  had  been  an  unlucky  man  clear  through. 
In  the  army  before  the  war,  the  aide  had  found  him  proud, 
reserved,  and  morose,  cold  as  an  icicle  to  all.  But  for  his 
wife  and  child  he  was  a  different  creature.  He  adored 
them  and  cared  for  nothing  else. 

One  day  he  went  off  on  an  expedition  and  was  gone  six 
weeks.  He  was  out  in  the  Northwest,  and  the  Indians  were 
troublesome.  When  he  came  back,  his  wife  and  child  were 
underground.  He  said  not  one  word,  but  they  found  him 
more  frozen,  stern,  and  isolated  than  ever;  that  was  all. 
The  night  before  he  left  Richmond  he  said  in  his  quiet  way : 
1  They  have  not  given  me  an  adequate  force.  I  can  do 
nothing.  They  have  sent  me  to  my  death."  It  is  acknowl- 


1  The  battle  of  Rich  Mountain,  in  Western  Virginia,  was  fought  July 
11,  1861,  and  General  Garnett,  Commander  of  the  Confederate  forces, 
pursued  by  General  McClellan,  was  killed  at  Carrick's  Ford,  July  13th, 
while  trying  to  rally  his  rear-guard. 

119 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

edged  that  he  threw   away  his* life — "  a  dreary-hearted 
man/'  said  the  aide,  li  and  the  unluckiest." 


On  the  front  steps  every  evening  we  take  our  seats  and 
discourse  at  our  pleasure.  A  nicer  or  more  agreeable  set  of 
people  were  never  assembled  than  our  present  Arlington 
crowd.  To-night  it  was  Yancey1  who  occupied  our  tongues. 
Send  a  man  to  England  who  had  killed  his  father-in-law 
in  a  street  brawl!  That  was  not  knowing  England  or 
Englishmen,  surely.  Who  wants  eloquence?  We  want 
somebody  who  can  hold  his  tongue.  People  avoid  great 
talkers,  men  who  orate,  men  given  to  monologue,  as  they 
would  avoid  fire,  famine,  or  pestilence.  Yancey  will  have 
no  mobs  to  harangue.  No  stump  speeches  will  be  possible, 
superb  as  are  his  of  their  kind,  but  little  quiet  conversation 
is  best  with  slow,  solid,  common-sense  people,  who  begin  to 
suspect  as  soon  as  any  flourish  of  trumpets  meets  their  ear. 
If  Yancey  should  use  his  fine  words,  who  would  care  for 
them  over  there  ? 

Commodore  Barron,  when  he  was  a  middy,  accompanied 
Phil  Augustus  Stockton  to  claim  his  bride.  He,  the  said 
Stockton,  had  secretly  wedded  a  fair  heiress  (Sally  Cantey). 
She  was  married  by  a  magistrate  and  returned  to  Mrs. 
Grillaud's  boarding-school  until  it  was  time  to  go  home 
—that  is,  to  Camden. 

Lieutenant  Stockton  (a  descendant  of  the  Signer)  was 
the  handsomest  man  in  the  navy,  and  irresistible.  The 
bride  was  barely  sixteen.  When  he  was  to  go  down  South 
among  those  fire-eaters  and  claim  her,  Commodore  Barron, 
then  his  intimate  friend,  went  as  his  backer.  They  were  to 
announce  the  marriage  and  defy  the  guardians.  Commo- 

1  William  Lowndes  Yancey  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  settled  in 
Alabama,  and  in  1844  was  elected  to  Congress,  where  he  became  a  leader 
among  the  supporters  of  slavery  and  an  advocate  of  secession.  He  was 
famous  in  his  day  as  an  effective  public  speaker. 

120 


STEALING    AN   HEIRESS 


dore  Barren  said  he  anticipated  a  rough  job  of  it  all,  but 
they  were  prepared  for  all  risks.  "  You  expected  to  find 
us  a  horde  of  savages,  no  doubt/'  said  I.  "  We  did  not 
expect  to  get  off  under  a  half-dozen  duels."  They  looked 
for  insults  from  every  quarter  and  they  found  a  polished 
and  refined  people  who  lived  en  prince,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 
They  were  received  with  a  cold,  stately,  and  faultless  po 
liteness,  which  made  them  feel  as  if  they  had  been  sheep- 
stealing. 

The  young  lady  had  confessed  to  her  guardians  and 
they  were  for  making  the  best  of  it;  above  all,  for  saving 
her  name  from  all  gossip  or  publicity.  Colonel  John  Boy- 
kin,  one  of  them,  took  Young  Lochinvar  to  stay  with  him. 
His  friend,  Barren,  was  also  a  guest.  Colonel  Deas  sent  for 
a  parson,  and  made  assurance  doubly  sure  by  marrying 
them  over  again.  Their  wish  was  to  keep  things  quiet  and 
not  to  make  a  nine-days'  wonder  of  the  young  lady. 

Then  came  balls,  parties,  and  festivities  without  end. 
He  was  enchanted  with  the  easy-going  life  of  these  people, 
with  dinners  the  finest  in  the  world,  deer-hunting,  and  fox 
hunting,  dancing,  and  pretty  girls,  in  fact  everything  that 
heart  could  wish.  But  then,  said  Commodore  Barron,  "  the 
better  it  was,  and  the  kinder  the  treatment,  the  more 
ashamed  I  grew  of  my  business  down  there.  After  all,  it 
was  stealing  an  heiress,  you  know." 

I  told  him  how  the  same  fate  still  haunted  that  estate  in 
Camden.  Mr.  Stockton  sold  it  to  a  gentleman,  who  later  sold 
it  to  an  old  man  who  had  married  when  near  eighty,  and 
who  left  it  to  the  daughter  born  of  that  marriage.  This 
pretty  child  of  his  old  age  was  left  an  orphan  quite  young. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen,  she  ran  away  and  married  a  boy  of 
seventeen,  a  canny  Scotchman.  The  young  couple  lived  to 
grow  up,  and  it  proved  after  all  a  happy  marriage.  This 
last  heiress  left  six  children;  so  the  estate  will  now  be 
divided,  and  no  longer  tempt  the  fortune-hunters. 

The  Commodore  said:  "  To  think  how  we  two  young- 

121 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

• 

sters  in  our  blue  uniforms  went  down  there  to  bully  those 
people."  He  was  much  at  €olonel  Chesnut's.  Mrs.  Ches- 
nut  being  a  Philadelphian,  he  was  somewhat  at  ease  with 
them.  It  was  the  most  thoroughly  appointed  establishment 
he  had  then  ever  visited. 


Went  with  our  leviathan  of  loveliness  to  a  ladies'  meet 
ing.  No  scandal  to-day,  no  wrangling,  all  harmonious, 
everybody  knitting.  Dare  say  that  soothing  occupation 

helped  our  perturbed  spirits  to  be  calm.  Mrs.  C is 

lovely,  a  perfect  beauty.  Said  Brewster:  "  In  Circassia, 
think  what  a  price  would  be  set  upon  her,  for  there  beauty 
sells  by  the  pound!  " 

Coming  home  the  following  conversation:  "  So  Mrs. 
Blank  thinks  purgatory  will  hold  its  own — never  be  abol 
ished  while  women  and  children  have  to  live  with  drunken 
fathers  and  brothers. "  "  She  knows."  "  She  is  too  bitter. 
She  says  worse  than  that.  She  says  we  have  an  institution 
worse  than  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  worse  than  Torque- 
mada,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing."  "  What  does  she 
mean  ?  ' 5  ' '  You  ask  her.  Her  words  are  sharp  arrows.  I 
am  a  dull  creature,  and  I  should  spoil  all  by  repeating  what 
she  says." 

"It  is  your  own  family  that  she  calls  the  familiars  of 
the  Inquisition.  She  declares  that  they  set  upon  you,  fall 
foul  of  you,  watch  and  harass  you  from  morn  till  dewy 
eve.  They  have  a  perfect  right  to  your  life,  night  and  day, 
unto  the  fourth  and  fifth  generation.  They  drop  in  at 
breakfast  and  say,  '  Are  you  not  imprudent  to  eat  that?  ' 
'  Take  care  now,  don't  overdo  it.'  'I  think  you  eat  too 
much  so  early  in  the  day. '  And  they  help  themselves  to  the 
only  thing  you  care  for  on  the  table.  They  abuse  your 
friends  and  tell  you  it  is  your  duty  to  praise  your  enemies. 
They  tell  you  of  all  your  faults  candidly,  because  they  love 
you  so ;  that  gives  them  a  right  to  speak.  What  family  in- 

122 


"BLOOD'S   THICKER   THAN   WATER" 

terest  they  take  in  you.  You  ought  to  do  this;  you  ought 
to  do  that,  and  then  the  everlasting  '  you  ought  to  have 
done/  which  comes  near  making  you  a  murderer,  at  least 
in  heart,  '  Blood's  thicker  than  water/  they  say,  and 
there  is  where  the  longing  to  spill  it  comes  in.  No  locks 
or  bolts  or  bars  can  keep  them  out.  Are  they  not  your 
nearest  family?  They  dine  with  you,  dropping  in  after 
you  are  at  soup.  They  come  after  you  have  gone  to  bed, 
when  all  the  servants  have  gone  away,  and  the  man  of  the 
house,  in  his  nightshirt,  standing  sternly  at  the  door  with 
the  huge  wooden  bar  in  his  hand,  nearly  scares  them  to 
death,  and  you  are  glad  of  it." 

"  Private  life,  indeed!  "  She  says  her  husband  entered 
public  life  and  they  went  off  to  live  in  a  far-away  city. 
Then  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  knew  privacy.  She 
never  will  forget  how  she  jumped  for  joy  as  she  told  her 
servant  not  to  admit  a  soul  until  after  two  o'clock  in  the 
day.  Afterward,  she  took  a  fixed  day  at  home.  Then  she 
was  free  indeed.  She  could  read  and  write,  stay  at  home, 
go  out  at  her  own  sweet  will,  no  longer  sitting  for  hours 
with  her  fingers  between  the  leaves  of  a  frantically  inter 
esting  book,  while  her  kin  slowly  driveled  nonsense  by  the 
yard — waiting,  waiting,  yawning.  Would  they  never  go? 
Then  for  hurting  you,  who  is  like  a  relative?  They  do  it 
from  a  sense  of  duty.  For  stinging  you,  for  cutting  you 
to  the  quick,  who  like  one  of  your  own  household  ?  In  point 
of  fact,  they  alone  can  do  it.  They  know  the  sore,  and  how 
to  hit  it  every  time.  You  are  in  their  power.  She  says,  did 
you  ever  see  a  really  respectable,  responsible,  revered  and 
beloved  head  of  a  family  who  ever  opened  his  mouth  at 
home  except  to  find  fault?  He  really  thinks  that  is  his 
business  in  life  and  that  all  enjoyment  is  sinful.  He  is 
there  to  prevent  the  women  from  such  frivolous  things  as 
pleasure,  etc.,  etc. 

I  sat  placidly  rocking  in  my  chair  by  the  window,  try 
ing  to  hope  all  was  for  the  best.  Mary  Hammy  rushed  in 
10  123 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

• 

literally  drowned  in  tears.  I  never  saw  so  drenched  a  face 
in  my  life.  My  heart  stopped  still.  "  Commodore  Barren 
is  taken  prisoner,"  said  she.  "  The  Yankees  have  cap 
tured  him  and  all  his  lieutenants.  Poor  Imogen — and 
there  is  my  father  scouting  about,  the  Lord  knows  where. 
I  only  know  he  is  in  the  advance  guard.  The  Barren's 
time  has  come.  Mine  may  come  any  minute.  Oh,  Cousin 
Mary,  when  Mrs.  Lee  told  Imogen,  she  fainted!  Those 
poor  girls ;  they  are  nearly  dead  with  trouble  and  fright. ' ' 

"  Go  straight  back  to  those  children,"  I  said.  "  No 
body  will  touch  a  hair  of  their  father's  head.  Tell  them  I 
say  so.  They  dare  not.  They  are  not  savages  quite.  This 
is  a  civilized  war,  you  know. ' ' 

Mrs.  Lee  said  to  Mrs.  Eustis  (Mr.  Corcoran 's  daughter) 
yesterday:  "  Have  you  seen  those  accounts  of  arrests  in 
Washington  ?  ' :  Mrs.  Eustis  answered  calmly :  ' '  Yes,  I 
know  all  about  it.  I  suppose  you  allude  to  the  fact  that  my 
father  has  been  imprisoned."  "  No,  no,"  interrupted  the 
explainer,  "  she  means  the  incarceration  of  those  mature 
Washington  belles  suspected  as  spies."  But  Mrs.  Eustis 
continued,  ' '  I  have  no  fears  for  my  father 's  safety. ' ' 

August  31st. — Congress  adjourns  to-day.  Jeff  Davis 
\  ill.  We  go  home  on  Monday  if  I  am  able  to  travel.  Al 
ready  I  feel  the  dread  stillness  and  torpor  of  our  Sahara 
of  a  Sand  Hill  creeping  into  my  veins.  It  chills  the  marrow 
of  my  bones.  I  am  reveling  in  the  noise  of  city  life.  I 
know  what  is  before  me.  Nothing  more  cheering  than  the 
cry  of  the  lone  whippoorwill  will  break  the  silence  at  Sandy 
Hill,  except  as  night  draws  near,  when  the  screech-owl  will 
add  his  mournful  note. 

September  1st. — North  Carolina  writes  for  arms  for  her 
soldiers.  Have  we  any  to  send  ?  No.  Brewster,  the  plain- 
spoken,  says,  "  The  President  is  ill,  and  our  affairs  are  in 
the  hands  of  noodles.  All  the  generals  away  with  the 
army;  nobody  here;  General  Lee  in  Western  Virginia. 
Reading  the  third  Psalm.  The  devil  is  sick,  the  devil  a 

124 


LEAVING    RICHMOND 


saint  would  be.  Lord,  how  are  they  increased  that  trouble 
me  ?  Many  are  they  that  rise  up  against  me !  " 

September  2d. — Mr.  Miles  says  he  is  not  going  anywhere 
at  all,  not  even  home.  He  is  to  sit  here  permanently — chair 
man  of  a  committee  to  overhaul  camps,  commissariats,  etc., 
etc. 

We  exchanged  our  ideas  of  Jtr.  Mason,  in  which  we 
agreed  perfectly.  In  the  first  place,  he  has  a  noble  pres 
ence — really  a  handsome  man;  is  a  manly  old  Virginian, 
straightforward,  brave,  truthful,  clever,  the  very  beau-ideal 
of  an  independent,  high-spirited  F.  F.  V.  If  the  English 
value  a  genuine  man  they  will  have  one  here.  In  every  par 
ticular  he  is  the  exact  opposite  of  Talleyrand.  He  has 
some  peculiarities.  He  had  never  an  ache  or  a  pain  him 
self  ;  his  physique  is  perfect,  and  he  loudly  declares  that  he 
hates  to  see  persons  ill ;  seems  to  him  an  unpardonable  weak 
ness. 

It  began  to  grow  late.  Many  people  had  come  to  say 
good-by  to  me.  I  had  fever  as  usual  to-day,  but  in  the  ex 
citement  of  this  crowd  of  friends  the  invalid  forgot  fever. 
Mr.  Chesnut  held  up  his  watch  to  me  warningly  and  inti 
mated  "  it  was  late,  indeed,  for  one  who  has  to  travel  to 
morrow.  "  So,  as  the  Yankees  say  after  every  defeat,  I 
1 1  retired  in  good  order. ' ' 

Not  quite,  for  I  forgot  handkerchief  and  fan.  Gon- 
zales  rushed  after  and  met  me  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs.  In 
his  foreign,  pathetic,  polite,  high-bred  way,  he  bowed  low 
and  said  he  had  made  an  excuse  for  the  fan,  for  he  had  a 
present  to  make  me,  and  then,  though  "  startled  and 
amazed,  I  paused  and  on  the  stranger  gazed. ' '  Alas !  I  am 
a  woman  approaching  forty,  and  the  offering  proved  to  be 
a  bottle  of  cherry  bounce.  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
opportune,  and  with  a  little  ice,  etc.,  will  help,  I  am  sure, 
to  save  my  life  on  that  dreadful  journey  home. 

No  discouragement  now  felt  at  the  North.  They  take 
our  forts  and  are  satisfied  for  a  while.  Then  the  English 

125 


July  13,  1861  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  2,  1861 

are  strictly  neutral.  Like  the  woman  who  saw  her  husband 
fight  the  bear,  * '  It  was  the  first  fight  she  ever  saw  when  she 
did  not  care  who  whipped. ' ' 

Mr.  Davis  was  very  kind  about  it  all.  He  told  Mr.  Ches- 
nut  to  go  home  and  have  an  eye  to  all  the  State  defenses, 
etc.,  and  that  he  would  give  him  any  position  he  asked  for 
if  he  still  wished  to  continue  in  the  army.  Now,  this  would 
be  all  that  heart  could  wish,  but  Mr.  Chesnut  will  never  ask 
for  anything.  What  will  he  ask  for?  That's  the  rub.  I 
am  certain  of  very  few  things  in  life  now,  but  this  is  one 
I  am  certain  of:  Mr.  Chesnut  will  never  ask  mortal  man 
for  any  promotion  for  himself  or  for  one  of  his  own  family. 


126 


X 

CAMDEN,    S.    C. 
September  9,  1861—  September  19,  1861 

AMDEN,  S.  C.,  September  9,  1861.— Home  again  at 
Mulberry,  the  fever  in  full  possession  of  me.  My 
sister,  Kate,  is  my  ideal  woman,  the  most  agreeable 
person  I  know  in  the  world,  with  her  soft,  low,  and  sweet 
voice,  her  graceful,  gracious  ways,  and  her  glorious  gray 
eyes,  that  I  looked  into  so  often  as  we  confided  our  very 
souls  to  each  other. 

God  bless  old  Betsey 's  yellow  face !  She  is  a  nurse  in  a 
thousand,  and  would  do  anything  for  ' '  Mars  Jeems '  wife. ' ' 
My  small  ailments  in  all  this  comfort  set  me  mourning  over 
the  dead  and  dying  soldiers  I  saw  in  Virginia.  How  feeble 
my  compassion  proves,  after  all. 

I  handed  the  old  Colonel  a  letter  from  his  son  in  the 
army.  He  said,  as  he  folded  up  the  missive  from  the  seat 
of  war,  "  With  this  war  we  may  die  out.  Your  husband  is 
the  last — of  my  family."  He  means  that  my  husband  is 
his  only  living  son ;  his  grandsons  are  in  the  army,  and 
they,  too,  may  be  killed — even  Johnny,  the  gallant  and  gay, 
may  not  be  bullet-proof.  No  child  have  I. 

Now  this  old  man  of  ninety  years  was  born  when  it  was 
not  the  fashion  for  a  gentleman  to  be  a  saint,  and  being 
lord  of  all  he  surveyed  for  so  many  years,  irresponsible,  in 
the  center  of  his  huge  domain,  it  is  wonderful  he  was  not  a 
greater  tyrant — the  softening  influence  of  that  angel  wife, 
no  doubt.  Saint  or  sinner,  he  understands  the  world  about 
him — au  fond. 

127 


Sept.  9,  1861  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Sept.  19,  1861 

9 

Have  had  a  violent  attack  of  something  wrong  about  my 
heart.  It  stopped  beating,  then  it  took  to  trembling,  creak 
ing  and  thumping  like  a  Mississippi  high-pressure  steam 
boat,  and  the  noise  in  my  ears  was  more  like  an  ammunition 
wagon  rattling  over  the  stones  in  Richmond.  That  was 
yesterday,  and  yet  I  am  alive.  That  kind  of  thing  makes 
one  feel  very  mortal. 

Russell  writes  how  disappointed  Prince  Jerome  Napo 
leon  was  with  the  appearance  of  our  troops,  and  "  he  did 
not  like  Beauregard  at  all."  Well !  I  give  Bogar  up  to  him. 
But  how  a  man  can  find  fault  with  our  soldiers,  as  I  have 
seen  them  individually  and  collectively  in  Charleston, 
Richmond,  and  everywhere — that  beats  me. 

The  British  are  the  most  conceited  nation  in  the  world, 
the  most  self-sufficient,  self-satisfied,  and  arrogant.  But 
each  individual  man  does  not  blow  his  own  penny  whistle ; 
they  brag  wholesale.  Wellington — he  certainly  left  it  for 
others  to  sound  his  praises — though  Mr.  Binney  thought  the 
statue  of  Napoleon  at  the  entrance  of  Apsley  House  was  a 
little  like  "  '  Who  killed  Cock  Robin?  '  '  I,  said  the  spar 
row,  with  my  bow  and  arrow.'  :  But  then  it  is  so  pleasant 
to  hear  them  when  it  is  a  lump  sum  of  praise,  with  no  pri 
vate  crowing — praise  of  Trafalgar,  Waterloo,  the  Scots 
Greys. 

Fighting  this  and  fighting  that,  with  their  crack  corps 
stirs  the  blood  and  every  heart  responds — three  times  three ! 
Hurrah! 

But  our  people  feel  that  they  must  send  forth  their  own 
reported  prowess :  with  an,  * '  I  did  this  and  I  did  that. ' '  I 
know  they  did  it ;  but  I  hang  my  head. 

In  those  Tarleton  Memoirs,  in  Lee's  Memoirs,  in  Moul- 
trie's,  and  in  Lord  Rawdon's  letters,  self  is  never  brought 
to  the  front.  I  have  been  reading  them  over  and  admire 
their  modesty  and  good  taste  as  much  as  their  courage  and 
cleverness.  That  kind  of  British  eloquence  takes  me.  It 
is  not,  "  Soldats!  marclions,  gloire!  "  Not  a  bit  of  it;  but, 

128 


SLAVERY  NORTH  AND  SOUTH 

"  Now,  my  lads,  stand  firm !  "  and,  "  Now  up,  and  let  them 
have  it!  " 

Our  name  has  not  gone  out  of  print.  To-day,  the  Ex 
aminer,  as  usual,  pitches  into  the  President.  It  thinks 
Toombs,  Cobb,  Slidell,  Lamar,  or  Chesnut  would  have  been 
far  better  in  the  office.  There  is  considerable  choice  in  that 
lot.  Five  men  more  utterly  dissimilar  were  never  named 
in  the  same  paragraph. 

September  19th. — A  painful  piece  of  news  came  to  us 
yesterday — our  cousin,  Mrs.  Witherspoon,  of  Society  Hill, 
was  found  dead  in  her  bed.  She  was  quite  well  the  night 
before.  Killed,  people  say,  by  family  sorrows.  She  was  a 
proud  and  high-strung  woman.  Nothing  shabby  in  word, 
thought,  or  deed  ever  came  nigh  her.  She  was  of  a  warm 
and  tender  heart,  too;  truth  and  uprightness  itself.  Few 
persons  have  ever  been  more  loved  and  looked  up  to.  She 
was  a  very  handsome  old  lady,  of  fine  presence,  dignified 
and  commanding. 

"  Killed  by  family  sorrows,"  so  they  said  when  Mrs. 
John  N.  Williams  died.  So  Uncle  John  said  yesterday  of 
his  brother,  Burwell.  '  *  Death  deserts  the  army, ' '  said  that 
quaint  old  soul,  "  and  takes  fancy  shots  of  the  most  eccen 
tric  kind  nearer  home." 

The  high  and  disinterested  conduct  our  enemies  seem  to 
expect  of  us  is  involuntary  and  unconscious  praise.  They 
pay  us  the  compliment  to  look  for  from  us  (and  execrate 
us  for  the  want  of  it)  a  degree  of  virtue  they  were  never 
able  to  practise  themselves.  It  is  a  crowning  misdemeanor 
for  us  to  hold  still  in  slavery  those  Africans  whom  they 
brought  here  from  Africa,  or  sold  to  us  when  they  found  it 
did  not  pay  to  own  them  themselves.  Gradually,  they  slid 
or  sold  them  off  down  here;  or  freed  them  prospectively, 
giving  themselves  years  in  which  to  get  rid  of  them  in  a 
remunerative  way.  We  want  to  spread  them  over  other 
lands,  too — West  and  South,  or  Northwest,  where  the  cli 
mate  would  free  them  or  kill  them,  or  improve  them  out 

129 


Sept.  0,  1861  CAMDEN,     S.    C.  Sept.  19,  1861 

^ 

of  the  world,  as  our  friends  up  North  do  the  Indians.  If 
they  had  been  forced  to  keep  the  negroes  in  New  England, 
I  dare  say  the  negroes  might  have  shared  the  Indians'  fate, 
for  they  are  wise  in  their  generation,  these  Yankee  children 
of  light.  Those  pernicious  Africans !  So  have  just  spoken 
Mr.  Chesnut  and  Uncle  John,  both  ci-devant  Union  men, 
now  utterly  for  State  rights. 

It  is  queer  how  different  the  same  man  may  appear 
viewed  from  different  standpoints.  *  *  What  a  perfect  gen 
tleman,"  said  one  person  of  another;  "  so  fine-looking, 
high-bred,  distinguished,  easy,  free,  and  above  all  graceful 
in  his  bearing;  so  high-toned!  He  is  always  indignant  at 
any  symptom  of  wrong-doing.  He  is  charming — the  man 
of  all  others  I  like  to  have  strangers  see — a  noble  represen 
tative  of  our  country. "  "  Yes,  every  word  of  that  is  true, ' ' 
was  the  reply.  "  He  is  all  that.  And  then  the  other  side 
of  the  picture  is  true,  too.  You  can  always  find  him.  You 
know  where  to  find  him!  Wherever  there  is  a  looking- 
glass,  a  bottle,  or  a  woman,  there  will  he  be  also."  "  My 
God!  and  you  call  yourself  his  friend."  "  Yes,  I  know 
him  down  to  the  ground. ' ' 

This  conversation  I  overheard  from  an  upper  window 
when  looking  down  on  the  piazza  below — a  complicated 
character  truly  beyond  La  Bruyere — with  what  Mrs.  Pres 
ton  calls  refinement  spread  thin  until  it  is  skin-deep  only. 

An  iron  steamer  has  run  the  blockade  at  Savannah.  We 
now  raise  our  wilted  heads  like  flowers  after  a  shower. 
This  drop  of  good  news  revives  us.1 

1  By  reason  of  illness,  preoccupation  in  other  affairs,  and  various 
deterrent  causes  besides,  Mrs.  Chesnut  allowed  a  considerable  period 
to  elapse  before  making  another  entry  in  her  diary. 


130 


XI 

COLUMBIA,    S.    C. 

February  20,  1862— July  21,  1862 

OLUMBIA,  S.  C.,  February  20,  1862.— Had  an  appe 
tite  for  my  dainty  breakfast.  Always  breakfast  in 
bed  now.  But  then,  my  Mercury  contained  such 
bad  news.  That  is  an  appetizing  style  of  matutinal  news 
paper.  Fort  Donelson x  has  fallen,  but  no  men  fell  with 
it.  It  is  prisoners  for  them  that  we  can  not  spare,  or  pris 
oners  for  us  that  we  may  not  be  able  to  feed :  that  is  so  much 
to  be  "  foref ended,"  as  Keitt  says.  They  lost  six  thousand, 
we  two  thousand ;  I  grudge  that  proportion.  In  vain,  alas ! 
ye  gallant  few — few,  but  undismayed.  Again,  they  make  a 
stand.  We  have  Buckner,  Beauregard,  and  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston.  With  such  leaders  and  God's  help  we  may  be 
saved  from  the  hated  Yankees ;  who  knows  ? 

February  21st. — A  crowd  collected  here  last  night  and 
there  was  a  serenade.  I  am  like  Mrs.  Nickleby,  who  never 
saw  a  horse  coming  full  speed  but  she  thought  the  Cheery- 
bles  had  sent  post-haste  to  take  Nicholas  into  co-partner 
ship.  So  I  got  up  and  dressed,  late  as  it  was.  I  felt  sure 
England  had  sought  our  alliance  at  last,  and  we  would 

1  Fort  Donelson  stood  on  the  Cumberland  River  about  60  miles 
northwest  of  Nashville.  The  Confederate  garrison  numbered  about 
18,000  men.  General  Grant  invested  the  Fort  on  February  13,  1862, 
and  General  Buckner,  who  commanded  it,  surrendered  on  February 
16th.  The  Federal  force  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  numbered  27,000 
men;  their  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  being  2,660  men  and  the  Confed 
erate  loss  about  2,000. 

131 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

make  a  Yorktown  of  it  before  long.  Who  was  it?  Will 
you  ever  guess? — Artemus  Goodwyn  and  General  Owens, 
of  Florida. 

Just  then,  Mr.  Chesnut  rushed  in,  put  out  the  light, 
locked  the  door  and  sat  still  as  a  mouse.  Rap,  rap,  came 
at  the  door.  "  I  say,  Chesnut,  they  are  calling  for  you." 
At  last  we  heard  Janney  (hotel-keeper)  loudly  proclaiming 
from  the  piazza  that  '  *  Colonel  Chesnut  was  not  here  at  all, 
at  all."  After  a  while,  when  they  had  all  gone  from  the 
street,  and  the  very  house  itself  had  subsided  into  perfect 
quiet,  the  door  again  was  roughly  shaken.  "  I  say,  Ches 
nut,  old  fellow,  come  out — I  know  you  are  there.  Nobody 
here  now  wants  to  hear  you  make  a  speech.  That  crowd  has 
all  gone.  We  want  a  little  quiet  talk  with  you.  I  am  just 
from  Richmond. ' '  That  was  the  open  sesame,  and  to-day  I 
hear  none  of  the  Richmond  news  is  encouraging.  Colonel 
Shaw  is  blamed  for  the  shameful  Roanoke  surrender.1 

Toombs  is  out  on  a  rampage  and  swears  he  will  not  ac 
cept  a  seat  in  the  Confederate  Senate  given  in  the  insulting 
way  his  was  by  the  Georgia  Legislature:  calls  it  shabby 
treatment,  and  adds  that  Georgia  is  not  the  only  place 
where  good  men  have  been  so  ill  used. 

The  Governor  and  Council  have  fluttered  the  dove-cotes, 
or,  at  least,  the  tea-tables.  They  talk  of  making  a  call  for 
all  silver,  etc.  I  doubt  if  we  have  enough  to  make  the  sac 
rifice  worth  while,  but  we  propose  to  set  the  example. 

February  22d.— What  a  beautiful  day  for  our  Confed 
erate  President  to  be  inaugurated!  God  speed  him;  God 
keep  him;  God  save  him! 

John  Chesnut 's  letter  was  quite  what  we  needed.  In 
spirit  it  is  all  that  one  could  ask.  He  says,  "  Our  late 
reverses  are  acting  finely  with  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 
A  few  more  thrashings  and  every  man  will  enlist  for  the 


1  General  Burnside  captured  the  Confederate  garrison  at  Roanoke 
Island  on  February  8,  1862. 

132 


YANKEE   PRISONERS   IN   COLUMBIA 

war.    Victories  made  us  too  sanguine  and  easy,  not  to  say 
vainglorious.    Now  for  the  rub,  and  let  them  have  it !  ' ' 

A  lady  wrote  to  Mrs.  Bunch:  "  Dear  Emma:  When 
shall  I  call  for  you  to  go  and  see  Madame  de  St.  Andre  ?  ' ' 
She  was  answered :  '  *  Dear  Lou :  I  can  not  go  with  you  to 
see  Madame  de  St.  Andre,  but  will  always  retain  the  kind 
est  feeling  toward  you  on  account  of  our  past  relations," 
etc.  The  astounded  friend  wrote  to  ask  what  all  this  meant. 
No  answer  came,  and  then  she  sent  her  husband  to  ask  and 
demand  an  explanation.  He  was  answered  thus:  "  My 
dear  fellow,  there  can  be  no  explanation  possible.  Here 
after  there  will  be  no  intercourse  between  my  wife  and 
yours;  simply  that,  nothing  more."  So  the  men  meet  at 
the  club  as  before,  and  there  is  no  further  trouble  between 
them.  The  lady  upon  whom  the  slur  is  cast  says,  "  and  I 
am  a  woman  and  can 't  fight !  ' 

February  23d. — While  Mr.  Chesnut  was  in  town  I  was  at 
the  Prestons.  John  Cochran  and  some  other  prisoners  had 
asked  to  walk  over  the  grounds,  visit  the  Hampton  Gar 
dens,  and  some  friends  in  Columbia.  After  the  dreadful 
state  of  the  public  mind  at  the  escape  of  one  of  the  prison 
ers,  General  Preston  was  obliged  to  refuse  his  request.  Mrs. 
Preston  and  the  rest  of  us  wanted  him  to  say  "  Yes,"  and 
so  find  out  who  in  Columbia  were  his  treacherous  friends. 
Pretty  bold  people  they  must  be,  to  receive  Yankee  invaders 
in  the  midst  of  the  row  over  one  enemy  already  turned 
loose  amid  us. 

General  Preston  said:  "  We  are  about  to  sacrifice  life 
and  fortune  for  a  fickle  multitude  who  will  not  stand  up 
to  us  at  last.  ' '  The  harsh  comments  made  as  to  his  lenient 
conduct  to  prisoners  have  embittered  him.  I  told  him 
what  I  had  heard  Captain  Trenholm  say  in  his  speech.  He 
said  he  would  listen  to  no  criticism  except  from  a  man  with 
a  musket  on  his  shoulder,  and  who  had  beside  enlisted  for 
the  war,  had  given  up  all,  and  had  no  choice  but  to  succeed 
or  die. 

133 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

February  24th. —  Congress  and  the  newspapers  render 
one  desperate,  ready  to  cut  one's  own  throat.  They  repre 
sent  everything  in  our  country  as  deplorable.  Then  comes 
some  one  back  from  our  gay  and  gallant  army  at  the  front. 
The  spirit  of  our  army  keeps  us  up  after  all.  Letters  from 
the  army  revive  one.  They  come  as  welcome  as  the  flowers 
in  May.  Hopeful  and  bright,  utterly  unconscious  of  our 
weak  despondency. 

February  25th. — They  have  taken  at  Nashville  *  more 
men  than  we  had  at  Manassas;  there  was  bad  handling  of 
troops,  we  poor  women  think,  or  this  would  not  be.  Mr. 
Venable  added  bitterly, ' '  Giving  up  our  soldiers  to  the  ene 
my  means  giving  up  the  cause.  We  can  not  replace  them. '  * 
The  up-country  men  were  Union  men  generally,  and  the 
low-country  seceders.  The  former  growl ;  they  never  liked 
those  aristocratic  boroughs  and  parishes,  they  had  them 
selves  a  good  and  prosperous  country,  a  good  constitution, 
and  were  satisfied.  But  they  had  to  go — to  leave  all  and 
fight  for  the  others  who  brought  on  all  the  trouble,  and  who 
do  not  show  too  much  disposition  to  fight  for  themselves. 

That  is  the  extreme  up-country  view.  The  extreme  low- 
country  says  Jeff  Davis  is  not  enough  out  of  the  Union  yet. 
His  inaugural  address  reads  as  one  of  his  speeches  did  four 
years  ago  in  the  United  States  Senate. 

A  letter  in  a  morning  paper  accused  Mr.  Chesnut  of 
staying  too  long  in  Charleston.  The  editor  was  asked  for 
the  writer's  name.  He  gave  it  as  Little  Moses,  the  Gover 
nor's  secretary.  When  Little  Moses  was  spoken  to,  in  a 
great  trepidation  he  said  that  Mrs.  Pickens  wrote  it,  and 
got  him  to  publish  it ;  so  it  was  dropped,  for  Little  Moses  is 
such  an  arrant  liar  no  one  can  believe  him.  Besides,  if  that 
sort  of  thing  amuses  Mrs.  Pickens,  let  her  amuse  herself. 

March  5th. — Mary  Preston  went  back  to  Mulberry  with 

1  Nashville  was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates  under  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston,  in  February,  1862. 

134 


NASHVILLE    EVACUATED 


me  from  Columbia.  She  found  a  man  there  tall  enough 
to  take  her  in  to  dinner — Tom  Boykin,  who  is  six  feet  four, 
the  same  height  as  her  father.  Tom  was  very  handsome  in 
his  uniform,  and  Mary  prepared  for  a  nice  time,  but  he 
looked  as  if  he  would  so  much  rather  she  did  not  talk  to 
him,  and  he  set  her  such  a  good  example,  saying  never 
a  word. 

Old  Colonel  Chesnut  came  for  us.  When  the  train 
stopped,  Quashie,  shiny  black,  was  seen  on  his  box,  as 
glossy  and  perfect  in  his  way  as  his  blooded  bays,  but  the 
old  Colonel  would  stop  and  pick  up  the  dirtiest  little  negro 
I  ever  saw  who  was  crying  by  the  roadside.  This  ragged 
little  black  urchin  was  made  to  climb  up  and  sit  beside 
Quash.  It  spoilt  the  symmetry  of  the  turn-out,  but  it  was 
a  character  touch,  and  the  old  gentleman  knows  no  law  but 
his  own  will.  He  had  a  biscuit  in  his  pocket  which  he  gave 
this  sniffling  little  negro,  who  proved  to  be  his  man  Scip's 
son. 

I  was  ill  at  Mulberry  and  never  left  my  room.  Doctor 
Boykin  came,  more  military  than  medical.  Colonel  Ches 
nut  brought  him  up,  also  Teams,  who  said  he  was  down  in 
the  mouth.  Our  men  were  not  fighting  as  they  should. 
We  had  only  pluck  and  luck,  and  a  dogged  spirit  of  fight 
ing,  to  offset  their  weight  in  men  and  munitions  of  war.  I 
wish  I  could  remember  Teams 's  words ;  this  is  only  his  idea. 
His  language  was  quaint  and  striking — no  grammar,  but 
no  end  of  sense  and  good  feeling.  Old  Colonel  Chesnut, 
catching  a  word,  began  his  litany,  saying,  "  Numbers  will 
tell,"  :<  Napoleon,  you  know,"  etc.,  etc. 

At  Mulberry  the  war  has  been  ever  afar  off,  but  threats 
to  take  the  silver  came  very  near  indeed — silver  that  we  had 
before  the  Kevolution,  silver  that  Mrs.  Chesnut  brought 
from  Philadelphia.  Jack  Cantey  and  Doctor  Boykin  came 
back  on  the  train  with  us.  Wade  Hampton  is  the  hero. 

Sweet  May  Dacre.  Lord  Byron  and  Disraeli  make  their 
rosebuds  Catholic;  May  Dacre  is  another  Aurora  Kaby.  I 

135 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

like  Disraeli  because  I  find  so  many  clever  things  in  him. 
I  like  the  sparkle  and  the  glitter.  Carlyle  does  not  hold  up 
his  hands  in  holy  horror  of  us  because  of  African  slavery. 
Lord  Lyons  l  has  gone  against  us.  Lord  Derby  and  Louis 
Napoleon  are  silent  in  our  hour  of  direst  need.  People  call 
me  Cassandra,  for  I  cry  that  outside  hope  is  quenched. 
From  the  outside  no  help  indeed  cometh  to  this  beleaguered 
land. 

March  7th. — Mrs.  Middleton  was  dolorous  indeed.  Gen 
eral  Lee  had  warned  the  planters  about  Combahee,  etc.,  that 
they  must  take  care  of  themselves  now ;  he  could  not  do  it. 
Confederate  soldiers  had  committed  some  outrages  on  the 
plantations  and  officers  had  punished  them  promptly.  She 
poured  contempt  upon  Yancey's  letter  to  Lord  Russell.2 
It  was  the  letter  of  a  shopkeeper,  not  in  the  style  of  a  states 
man  at  all. 

We  called  to  see  Mary  McDuffie.3  She  asked  Mary  Pres 
ton  what  Doctor  Boykin  had  said  of  her  husband  as  we  came 
along  in  the  train.  She  heard  it  was  something  very  com 
plimentary.  Mary  P.  tried  to  remember,  and  to  repeat  it 
all,  to  the  joy  of  the  other  Mary,  who  liked  to  hear  nice 
things  about  her  husband. 

Mary  was  amazed  to  hear  of  the  list  of  applicants  for 
promotion.  One  delicate-minded  person  accompanied  his 
demand  for  advancement  by  a  request  for  a  written  descrip 
tion  of  the  Manassas  battle ;  he  had  heard  Colonel  Chesnut 
give  such  a  brilliant  account  of  it  in  Governor  Cobb's 
room. 

The  Merrimac  4  business  has  come  like  a  gleam  of  light- 

1  Richard,  Lord  Lyons,  British  minister  to  the  United  States  from 
1858  to  1865. 

2  Lord  Russell  was  Foreign  Secretary  under  the  Palmerston  admin 
istration  of  1859  to  1865. 

3  Mary  McDuffie  was  the  second  wife  of  Wade  Hampton. 

4  The  Merrimac  was  formerly  a  40-gun  screw  frigate  of  tho  United 
States  Navy.      In  April,  1861,  when  the  Norfolk  Navy-yard  was  aban- 

136 


MONITOR    AND    MERRIMAC 


ning  illumining  a  dark  scene.  Our  sky  is  black  and  low 
ering. 

The  Judge  saw  his  little  daughter  at  my  window  and 
he  came  up.  He  was  very  smooth  and  kind.  It  was  really 
a  delightful  visit ;  not  a  disagreeable  word  was  spoken.  He 
abused  no  one  whatever,  for  he  never  once  spoke  of  any  one 
but  himself,  and  himself  he  praised  without  stint.  He  did 
not  look  at  me  once,  though  he  spoke  very  kindly  to  me. 

March  10th. — Second  year  of  Confederate  independ 
ence.  I  write  daily  for  my  own  diversion.  These  memoires 
pour  servir  may  at  some  future  day  afford  facts  about 
these  times  and  prove  useful  to  more  important  people  than 
I  am.  I  do  not  wish  to  do  any  harm  or  to  hurt  any  one.  If 
any  scandalous  stories  creep  in  they  can  easily  be  burned. 
It  is  hard,  in  such  a  hurry  as  things  are  now,  to  separate 
the  wheat  from  the  chaff.  Now  that  I  have  made  my  pro 
test  and  written  down  my  wishes,  I  can  scribble  on  with  a 
free  will  and  free  conscience. 

Congress  at  the  North  is  down  on  us.  They  talk  largely 
of  hanging  slave-owners.  They  say  they  hold  Port  Royal, 
as  we  did  when  we  took  it  originally  from  the  aborigines, 
who  fled  before  us;  so  we  are  to  be  exterminated  and  im 
proved,  a  I'Indienne,  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Medea,  when  asked:  "  Country,  wealth,  husband,  chil 
dren,  all  are  gone;  and  now  what  remains?  "  answered: 
:'  Medea  remains."  "  There  is  a  time  in  most  men's  lives 
when  they  resemble  Job,  sitting  among  the  ashes  and  drink 
ing  in  the  full  bitterness  of  complicated  misfortune." 


doned  by  the  United  States  she  was  sunk.  Her  hull  was  afterward 
raised  by  the  Confederates  and  she  was  reconstructed  on  new  plans, 
and  renamed  the  Virginia.  On  March  2,  1862,  she  destroyed  the 
Congress,  a  sailing-ship  of  50  guns,  and  the  Cumberland,  a  sailing-ship 
of  30  guns,  at  Newport  News.  On  March  7th  she  attacked  the  Minne 
sota,  but  was  met  by  the  Monitor  and  defeated  in  a  memorable  engage 
ment.  Many  features  of  modern  battle-ships  have  been  derived  from 
the  Merrimac  and  Monitor. 

137 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  S.  C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

March  llth. — A  freshman  came  quite  eager  to  be  in 
structed  in  all  the  wiles  of  society.  He  wanted  to  try  his 
hand  at  a  flirtation,  and  requested  minute  instructions,  as 
he  knew  nothing  whatever :  he  was  so  very  fresh.  *  *  Dance 
with  her, ' '  he  was  told,  ' '  and  talk  with  her ;  walk  with  her 
and  flatter  her;  dance  until  she  is  warm  and  tired;  then 
propose  to  walk  in  a  cool,  shady  piazza.  It  must  be  a  some 
what  dark  piazza.  Begin  your  promenade  slowly;  warm 
up  to  your  work;  draw  her  arm  closer  and  closer;  then, 
break  her  wing." 

11  Heavens,  what  is  that — break  her  wing?  "  "  Why, 
you  do  not  know  even  that  1  Put  your  arm  round  her  waist 
and  kiss  her.  After  that,  it  is  all  plain  sailing.  She  comes 
down  when  you  call  like  the  coon  to  Captain  Scott:  '  You 
need  not  fire,  Captain/  etc." 

The  aspirant  for  fame  as  a  flirt  followed  these  lucid  di 
rections  literally,  but  when  he  seized  the  poor  girl  and 
kissed  her,  she  uplifted  her  voice  in  terror,  and  screamed 
as  if  the  house  was  on  fire.  So  quick,  sharp,  and  shrill 
were  her  yells  for  help  that  the  bold  flirt  sprang  over  the 
banister,  upon  which  grew  a  strong  climbing  rose.  This  he 
struggled  through,  and  ran  toward  the  college,  taking  a  bee 
line.  He  was  so  mangled  by  the  thorns  that  he  had  to  go 
home  and  have  them  picked  out  by  his  family.  The  girl's 
brother  challenged  him.  There  was  no  mortal  combat,  how 
ever,  for  the  gay  young  fellow  who  had  led  the  freshman's 
ignorance  astray  stepped  forward  and  put  things  straight. 
An  explanation  and  an  apology  at  every  turn  hushed  it 
all  up. 

Now,  we  all  laughed  at  this  foolish  story  most  heartily. 
But  Mr.  Venable  remained  grave  and  preoccupied,  and  was 
asked :  ' '  Why  are  you  so  unmoved  ?  It  is  funny. ' ' 
"  I  like  more  probable  fun;  I  have  been  in  college 
and  I  have  kissed  many  a  girl,  but  never  a  one  scrome 
yet." 

Last  Saturday  was  the  bloodiest  we  have  had  in 

138 


MRS.    McCORD 


proportion  to  numbers.1  The  enemy  lost  1,500.  The  hand 
ful  left  at  home  are  rushing  to  arms  at  last.  Bragg  has 
gone  to  join  Beauregard  at  Columbus,  Miss.  Old  Abe  truly 
took  the  field  in  that  Scotch  cap  of  his. 

Mrs.  McCord,2  the  eldest  daughter  of  Langdon  Cheves, 
got  up  a  company  for  her  son,  raising  it  at  her  own  ex 
pense.  She  has  the  brains  and  energy  of  a  man.  To-day 
she  repeated  a  remark  of  a  low-country  gentleman,  who  is 
dissatisfied:  "  This  Government  (Confederate)  protects 
neither  person  nor  property. ' '  Fancy  the  scornful  turn  of 
her  lip !  Some  one  asked  for  Langdon  Cheves,  her  brother. 
"  Oh,  Langdon !  "  she  replied  coolly,  "  he  is  a  pure  patriot; 
he  has  no  ambition.  While  I  was  there,  he  was  letting  Con 
federate  soldiers  ditch  through  his  garden  and  ruin  him  at 
their  leisure." 

Cotton  is  five  cents  a  pound  and  labor  of  no  value  at  all ; 
it  commands  no  price  whatever.  People  gladly  hire  out 
their  negroes  to  have  them  fed  and  clothed,  which  latter 
can  not  be  done.  Cotton  osnaburg  at  37%  cents  a  yard, 
leaves  no  chance  to  clothe  them.  Langdon  was  for  martial 
law  and  making  the  bloodsuckers  disgorge  their  ill-gotten 
gains.  We,  poor  fools,  who  are  patriotically  ruining  our 
selves  will  see  our  children  in  the  gutter  while  treacherous 
dogs  of  millionaires  go  rolling  by  in  their  coaches — coaches 
that  were  acquired  by  taking  advantage  of  our  necessities. 

This  terrible  battle  of  the  ships — Monitor,  Merrimac, 
etc.  All  hands  on  board  the  Cumberland  went  down.  She 
fought  gallantly  and  fired  a  round  as  she  sank.  The  Con- 


1  On  March  7  and  8,  1862,  occurred  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  in 
Western  Arkansas,  where  the  Confederates  were  defeated,  and  on  March 
8th  and  9th,  occurred  the  conflict  in  Hampton  Roads  between  the  war 
ships  Merrimac,  Cumberland,  Congress,  and  Monitor. 

2  Louisa  Susanna  McCord,  whose  husband  was  David  J.  McCord,  a 
lawyer  of  Columbia,  who  died  in  1855.     She  was  educated  in  Philadel 
phia,  and  was  the  author  of  several  books  of  verse,  including  Caius 
Gracchus,  a  tragedy;  she  was  also  a  brilliant  pamphleteer. 

11  139 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  Jtdy  21,  1862 

• 

gress  ran  up  a  white  flag.  She  fired  on  our  boats  as  they 
went  up  to  take  off  her  wounded.  She  was  burned.  The 
worst  of  it  is  that  all  this  will  arouse  them  to  more  furious 
exertions  to  destroy  us.  They  hated  us  so  before,  but  how 
now? 

In  Columbia  I  do  not  know  a  half-dozen  men  who  would 
not  gaily  step  into  Jeff  Davis 's  shoes  with  a  firm  conviction 
that  they  would  do  better  in  every  respect  than  he  does. 
The  monstrous  conceit,  the  fatuous  ignorance  of  these  crit 
ics!  It  is  pleasant  to  hear  Mrs.  McCord  on  this  subject, 
when  they  begin  to  shake  their  heads  and  tell  us  what  Jeff 
Davis  ought  to  do. 

March  12th. — In  the  naval  battle  the  other  day  we  had 
twenty-five  guns  in  all.  The  enemy  had  fifty-four  in  the 
Cumberland,  forty- four  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  besides  a  fleet 
of  gunboats,  filled  with  rifled  cannon.  Why  not?  They 
can  have  as  many  as  they  please.  ' '  No  pent-up  Utica  con 
tracts  their  powers  ";  the  whole  boundless  world  being 
theirs  to  recruit  in.  Ours  is  only  this  one  little  spot  of 
ground — the  blockade,  or  stockade,  which  hems  us  in  with 
only  the  sky  open  to  us,  and  for  all  that,  how  tender-footed 
and  cautious  they  are  as  they  draw  near. 

An  anonymous  letter  purports  to  answer  Colonel  Ches- 
nut's  address  to  South  Carolinians  now  in  the  army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  man  says,  ' '  All  that  bosh  is  no  good. ' '  He 
knows  lots  of  people  whose  fathers  were  notorious  Tories 
in  our  war  for  independence  and  made  fortunes  by  selling 
their  country.  Their  sons  have  the  best  places,  and  they 
are  cowards  and  traitors  still.  Names  are  given,  of  course. 

Floyd  and  Pillow  J  are  suspended  from  their  commands 

1  John  D.  Floyd,  who  had  been  Governor  of  Virginia  from  1850  to 
1853,  became  Secretary  of  War  in  1857  He  was  first  in  command 
at  Fort  Donelson.  Gideon  J.  Pillow  had  been  a  Major-General  of  volun 
teers  in  the  Mexican  War  and  was  second  in  command  at  Fort  Donelson. 
He  and  Floyd  escaped  from  the  Fort  when  it  was  invested  by  Grant, 
leaving  General  Buckner  to  make  the  surrender. 

140 


ALBERT    SIDNEY    JOHNSTON 


because  of  Fort  Donelson.  The  people  of  Tennessee  de 
mand  a  like  fate  for  Albert  Sidney  Johnston.  They  say  he 
is  stupid.  Can  human  folly  go  further  than  this  Tennessee 
madness  ? 

I  did  Mrs.  Blank  a  kindness.  I  told  the  women  when 
her  name  came  up  that  she  was  childless  now,  but  that  she 
had  lost  three  children.  I  hated  to  leave  her  all  alone. 
Women  have  such  a  contempt  for  a  childless  wife.  Now, 
they  will  be  all  sympathy  and  goodness.  I  took  away  her 
'  *  reproach  among  women. ' ' 

March  13th. — Mr.  Chesnut  fretting  and  fuming.  From 
the  poor  old  blind  bishop  downward  everybody  is  besetting 
him  to  let  off  students,  theological  and  other,  from  going 
into  the  army.  One  comfort  is  that  the  boys  will  go.  Mr. 
Chesnut  answers :  *  *  Wait  until  you  have  saved  your  coun 
try  before  you  make  preachers  and  scholars.  When  you 
have  a  country,  there  will  be  no  lack  of  divines,  students, 
scholars  to  adorn  and  purify  it. ' '  He  says  he  is  a  one-idea 
man.  That  idea  is  to  get  every  possible  man  into  the  ranks. 

Professor  Le  Conte  l  is  an  able  auxiliary.  He  has  un 
dertaken  to  supervise  and  carry  on  the  powder-making  en 
terprise — the  very  first  attempted  in  the  Confederacy,  and 
Mr.  Chesnut  is  proud  of  it.  It  is  a  brilliant  success,  thanks 
to  Le  Conte. 

Mr.  Chesnut  receives  anonymous  letters  urging  him  to 
arrest  the  Judge  as  seditious.  They  say  he  is  a  dangerous 
and  disaffected  person.  His  abuse  of  Jeff  Davis  and  the 
Council  is  rabid.  Mr.  Chesnut  laughs  and  throws  the  let 
ters  into  the  fire.  "  Disaffected  to  Jeff  Davis,"  says  he; 

1  Joseph  Le  Conte,  who  afterward  arose  to  much  distinction  as  a 
geologist  and  writer  of  text-books  on  geology.  He  died  in  1901,  while  he 
was  connected  with  the  University  of  California.  His  work  at  Columbia 
was  to  manufacture,  on  a  large  scale,  medicines  for  the  Confederate 
Army,  his  laboratory  being  the  main  source  of  supply.  In  Professor 
Le  Conte's  autobiography  published  in  1903,  are  several  chapters  de 
voted  to  his  life  in  the  South. 

141 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

"  disaffected  to  the  Council,  that  don't  count.  He  knows 
what  he  is  about;  he  would  not  injure  his  country  for  the 
world." 

Read  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  again.  These  negro  women 
have  a  chance  here  that  women  have  nowhere  else.  They 
can  redeem  themselves — the  "  impropers  "  can.  They  can 
marry  decently,  and  nothing  is  remembered  against  these 
colored  ladies.  It  is  not  a  nice  topic,  but  Mrs.  Stowe  revels 
in  it.  How  delightfully  Pharisaic  a  feeling  it  must  be  to 
rise  superior  and  fancy  we  are  so  degraded  as  to  defend 
and  like  to  live  with  such  degraded  creatures  around  us — 
such  men  as  Legree  and  his  women. 

The  best  way  to  take  negroes  to  your  heart  is  to  get  as 
far  away  from  them  as  possible.  As  far  as  I  can  see, 
Southern  women  do  all  that  missionaries  could  do  to  pre 
vent  and  alleviate  evils.  The  social  evil  has  not  been  sup 
pressed  in  old  England  or  in  New  England,  in  London  or  in 
Boston.  People  in  those  places  expect  more  virtue  from  a 
plantation  African  than  they  can  insure  in  practise  among 
themselves  with  all  their  own  high  moral  surroundings — 
light,  education,  training,  and  support.  Lady  Mary  Mon 
tagu  says,  "  Only  men  and  women  at  last."  "  Male  and 
female,  created  he  them, ' '  says  the  Bible.  There  are  cruel, 
graceful,  beautiful  mothers  of  angelic  Evas  North  as  well 
as  South,  I  dare  say.  The  Northern  men  and  women  who 
came  here  were  always  hardest,  for  they  expected  an  Afri 
can  to  work  and  behave  as  a  white  man.  We  do  not. 

I  have  often  thought  from  observation  truly  that  per 
fect  beauty  hardens  the  heart,  and  as  to  grace,  what  so 
graceful  as  a  cat,  a  tigress,  or  a  panther.  Much  love,  ad 
miration,  worship  hardens  an  idol's  heart.  It  becomes  ut 
terly  callous  and  selfish.  It  expects  to  receive  all  and  to 
give  nothing.  It  even  likes  the  excitement  of  seeing  people 
suffer.  I  speak  now  of  what  I  have  watched  with  horror 
and  amazement. 

Topsys  I  have  known,  but  none  that  were  beaten  or  ill- 

142 


UNCLE    TOM'S    CABIN 


used.  Evas  are  mostly  in  the  heaven  of  Mrs.  Stowe's  im 
agination.  People  can't  love  things  dirty,  ugly,  and  repul 
sive,  simply  because  they  ought  to  do  so,  but  they  can  be 
good  to  them  at  a  distance ;  that 's  easy.  You  see,  I  can  not 
rise  very  high ;  I  can  only  judge  by  what  I  see. 

March  14th. — Thank  God  for  a  ship!  It  has  run  the 
blockade  with  arms  and  ammunition. 

There  are  no  negro  sexual  relations  half  so  shocking  as 
Mormonism.  And  yet  the  United  States  Government  makes 
no  bones  of  receiving  Mormons  into  its  sacred  heart.  Mr. 
Venable  said  England  held  her  hand  over  "  the  malignant 
and  the  turbaned  Turk  "  to  save  and  protect  him,  slaves, 
seraglio,  and  all.  But  she  rolls  up  the  whites  of  her  eyes 
at  us  when  slavery,  bad  as  it  is,  is  stepping  out  into  freedom 
every  moment  through  Christian  civilization.  They  do  not 
grudge  the  Turk  even  his  bag  and  Bosphorus  privileges. 
To  a  recalcitrant  wife  it  is,  "  Here  yawns  the  sack;  there 
rolls  the  sea,"  etc.  And  France,  the  bold,  the  brave,  the 
ever  free,  she  has  not  been  so  tender- footed  in  Algiers.  But 
then  the  ll  you  are  another  "  argument  is  a  shabby  one. 
"  You  see,"  says  Mary  Preston  sagaciously,  "  we  are  white 
Christian  descendants  of  Huguenots  and  Cavaliers,  and 
they  expect  of  us  different  conduct." 

Went  in  Mrs.  Preston's  landau  to  bring  my  boarding- 
school  girls  here  to  dine.  At  my  door  met  J.  F.,  who  wanted 
me  then  and  there  to  promise  to  help  him  with  his  commis 
sion  or  put  him  in  the  way  of  one.  At  the  carriage  steps  I 
was  handed  in  by  Gus  Smith,  who  wants  his  brother  made 
commissary.  The  beauty  of  it  all  is  they  think  I  have  some 
influence,  and  I  have  not  a  particle.  The  subject  of  Mr. 
Chesnut's  military  affairs,  promotions,  etc.,  is  never  men 
tioned  by  me. 

March  15th. — When  we  came  home  from  Richmond, 
there  stood  Warren  Nelson,  propped  up  against  my  door, 
lazily  waiting  for  me,  the  handsome  creature.  He  said  he 
meant  to  be  heard,  so  I  walked  back  with  him  to  the  draw- 

143 


Fd>.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

ing-room.  They  are  wasting  their  time  dancing  attendance 
on  me.  I  can  not  help  them.  Let  them  shoulder  their 
musket  and  go  to  the  wars  like  men. 

After  tea  came  "  Mars  Kit  "—he  said  for  a  talk,  but 
that  Mr.  Preston  would  riot  let  him  have,  for  Mr.  Preston 
had  arrived  some  time  before  him.  Mr.  Preston  said 
"  Mars  Kit  "  thought  it  "  bad  form  "  to  laugh.  After  that 
you  may  be  sure  a  laugh  from  "  Mars  Kit  "  was  secured. 
Again  and  again,  he  was  forced  to  laugh  with  a  will.  I  re 
versed  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 's  good  resolution — never 
to  be  as  funny  as  he  could.  I  did  my  very  utmost. 

Mr.  Venable  interrupted  the  fun,  which  was  fast  and 
furious,  with  the  very  best  of  bad  news !  Newbern  shelled 
and  burned,  cotton,  turpentine — everything.  There  were 
5,000  North  Carolinians  in  the  fray,  12,000  Yankees.  Now 
there  stands  Goldsboro.  One  more  step  and  we  are  cut  in 
two.  The  railroad  is  our  backbone,  like  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
the  Alleghanies,  with  which  it  runs  parallel.  So  many  dis 
comforts,  no  wonder  we  are  down-hearted. 

Mr.  Venable  thinks  as  we  do — Garnett  is  our  most  thor 
ough  scholar ;  Lamar  the  most  original,  and  the  cleverest  of 
our  men — L.  Q.  C.  Lamar — time  fails  me  to  write  all  his 
name.  Then,  there  is  R.  M.  T.  Hunter.  Muscoe  Russell 
Garnett  and  his  Northern  wife :  that  match  was  made  at  my 
house  in  Washington  when  Garnett  was  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Congress. 

March  17th. — Back  to  the  Congaree  House  to  await  my 
husband,  who  has  made  a  rapid  visit  to  the  Wateree  region. 
As  we  drove  up  Mr.  Chesnut  said :  * '  Did  you  see  the  stare 
of  respectful  admiration  E.  R.  bestowed  upon  you,  so  cu 
riously  prolonged  ?  I  could  hardly  keep  my  countenance.  ' ' 
"  Yes,  my  dear  child,  I  feel  the  honor  of  it,  though  my  in 
dividual  self  goes  for  nothing  in  it.  I  am  the  wife  of  the 
man  who  has  the  appointing  power  just  now,  with  so  many 
commissions  to  be  filled.  I  am  nearly  forty,  and  they  do  my 
understanding  the  credit  to  suppose  I  can  be  made  to  be- 

144 


JOHNSTON    PETTIGREW 


lieve  they  admire  my  mature  charms.  They  think  they  fool 
me  into  thinking  that  they  believe  me  charming.  There  is 
hardly  any  farce  in  the  world  more  laughable. ' ' 

Last  night  a  house  was  set  on  fire ;  last  week  two  houses. 
4 '  The  red  cock  crows  in  the  barn !  ' '  Our  troubles  thicken, 
indeed,  when  treachery  comes  from  that  dark  quarter. 

When  the  President  first  offered  Johnston  Petti  grew  a 
brigadier-generalship,  his  answer  was :  ' '  Not  yet.  Too 
many  men  are  ahead  of  me  who  have  earned  their  promo 
tion  in  the  field.  I  will  come  after  them,  not  before.  So 
far  I  have  done  nothing  to  merit  reward, ' '  etc.  He  would 
not  take  rank  when  he  could  get  it.  I  fancy  he  may  cool  his 
heels  now  waiting  for  it.  He  was  too  high  and  mighty. 
There  was  another  conscientious  man — Burnet,  of  Ken 
tucky.  He  gave  up  his  regiment  to  his  lieutenant-colonel 
when  he  found  the  lieutenant-colonel  could  command  the 
regiment  and  Burnet  could  not  maneuver  it  in  the  field.  He 
went  into  the  fight  simply  as  an  aide  to  Floyd.  Modest 
merit  just  now  is  at  a  premium. 

William  Gilmore  Simms  is  here ;  read  us  his  last  poetry ; 
have  forgotten  already  what  it  was  about.  It  was  not  tire 
some,  however,  and  that  is  a  great  thing  when  people  will 
persist  in  reading  their  own  rhymes. 

I  did  not  hear  what  Mr.  Preston  was  saying.  "  The 
last  piece  of  Richmond  news, ' '  Mr.  Chesnut  said  as  he  went 
away,  and  he  looked  so  fagged  out  I  asked  no  questions.  I 
knew  it  was  bad. 

At  daylight  there  was  a  loud  knocking  at  my  door.  I 
hurried  on  a  dressing-gown  and  flew  to  open  the  door. 
;<  Mrs.  Chesnut,  Mrs.  M.  says  please  don't  forget  her  son. 
Mr.  Chesnut,  she  hears,  has  come  back.  Please  get  her  son  a 
commission.  He  must  have  an  office."  I  shut  the  door  in 
the  servant's  face.  If  I  had  the  influence  these  foolish 
people  attribute  to  me  why  should  I  not  help  my  own?  I 
have  a  brother,  two  brothers-in-law,  and  no  end  of  kin,  all 
gentlemen  privates,  and  privates  they  would  stay  to  the 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

end  of  time  before  they  said  a  word  to  me  about  commis 
sions.  After  a  long  talk  we  were  finally  disgusted  and  the 
men  went  off  to  the  bulletin-board.  Whatever  else  it  shows, 
good  or  bad,  there  is  always  woe  for  some  house  in  the  killed 
and  wounded.  We  have  need  of  stout  hearts.  I  feel  a 
sinking  of  mine  as  we  drive  near  the  board. 

March  18th. — My  war  archon  is  beset  for  commissions, 
and  somebody  says  for  every  one  given,  you  make  one  in- 
grate  and  a  thousand  enemies. 

As  I  entered  Miss  Mary  Stark 's  I  whispered:  "  He 
has  promised  to  vote  for  Louis. ' '  What  radiant  faces.  To 
my  friend,  Miss  Mary  said,  "  Your  son-in-law,  what  is  he 
doing  for  his  country?  "  "  He  is  a  tax  collector."  Then 
spoke  up  the  stout  old  girl :  ' '  Look  at  my  cheek ;  it  is  red 
with  blushing  for  you.  A  great,  hale,  hearty  young  man ! 
Fie  on  him !  fie  on  him !  for  shame !  Tell  his  wife ;  run  him 
out  of  the  house  with  a  broomstick;  send  him  down  to  the 
coast  at  least."  Fancy  my  cheeks.  I  could  not  raise  my 
eyes  to  the  poor  lady,  so  mercilessly  assaulted.  My  face 
was  as  hot  with  compassion  as  the  outspoken  Miss  Mary 
pretended  hers  to  be  with  vicarious  mortification. 

Went  to  see  sweet  and  saintly  Mrs.  Bartow.  She  read 
us  a  letter  from  Mississippi — not  so  bad:  "  More  men 
there  than  the  enemy  suspected,  and  torpedoes  to  blow  up 
the  wretches  when  they  came."  Next  to  see  Mrs.  Izard. 
She  had  with  her  a  relative  just  from  the  North.  This  lady 
had  asked  Seward  for  passports,  and  he  told  her  to  "  hold 
on  a  while ;  the  road  to  South  Carolina  will  soon  be  open  to 
all,  open  and  safe."  To-day  Mrs.  Arthur  Hayne  heard 
from  her  daughter  that  Richmond  is  to  be  given  up.  Mrs. 
Buell  is  her  daughter. 

Met  Mr.  Chesnut,  who  said :  ' '  New  Madrid  l  has  been 
given  up.  I  do  not  know  any  more  than  the  dead  where 
New  Madrid  is.  It  is  bad,  all  the  same,  this  giving  up.  I 

1  New  Madrid,  Missouri,  had  been  under  siege  since  March  3,  1862. 

146 


THE   CABINET  REMODELED 


can 't  stand  it.  The  hemming-in  process  is  nearly  complete. 
The  ring  of  fire  is  almost  unbroken." 

Mr.  Chesnut's  negroes  offered  to  fight  for  him  if  he 
would  arm  them.  He  pretended  to  believe  them.  He  says 
one  man  can  not  do  it.  The  whole  country  must  agree  to  it. 
He  would  trust  such  as  he  would  select,  and  he  would  give 
so  many  acres  of  land  and  his  freedom  to  each  one  as  he  en 
listed. 

Mrs.  Albert  Rhett  came  for  an  office  for  her  son  John. 
I  told  her  Mr.  Chesnut  would  never  propose  a  kinsman  for 
office,  but  if  any  one  else  would  bring  him  forward  he  would 
vote  for  him  certainly,  as  he  is  so  eminently  fit  for  position. 
Now  he  is  a  private. 

March  19th. — He  who  runs  may  read.  Conscription 
means  that  we  are  in  a  tight  place.  This  war  was  a  volun 
teer  business.  To-morrow  conscription  begins — the  dernier 
ressort.  The  President  has  remodeled  his  Cabinet,  leaving 
Bragg  for  North  Carolina.  His  War  Minister  is  Randolph, 
of  Virginia.  A  Union  man  par  excellence,  Watts,  of  Ala 
bama,  is  Attorney-General.  And  now,  too  late  by  one  year, 
when  all  the  mechanics  are  in  the  army,  Mallory  begins  to 
telegraph  Captain  Ingraham  to  build  ships  at  any  expense. 
We  are  locked  in  and  can  not  get  ' '  the  requisites  for  naval 
architecture/'  says  a  magniloquent  person. 

Henry  Frost  says  all  hands  wink  at  cotton  going  out. 
Why  not  send  it  out  and  buy  ships  ?  ' '  Every  now  and  then 
there  is  a  holocaust  of  cotton  burning,"  says  the  magnilo 
quent.  Conscription  has  waked  the  Rip  Van  Winkles.  The 
streets  of  Columbia  were  never  so  crowded  with  men.  To 
fight  and  to  be  made  to  fight  are  different  things. 

To  my  small  wits,  whenever  people  were  persistent, 
united,  and  rose  in  their  might,  no  general,  however  great, 
succeeded  in  subjugating  them.  Have  we  not  swamps,  for 
ests,  rivers,  mountains — every  natural  barrier?  The  Car 
thaginians  begged  for  peace  because  they  were  a  luxurious 
people  and  could  not  endure  the  hardship  of  war,  though 

147 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

~*~ 

the  enemy  suffered  as  sharply  as  they  did!  "  Factions 
among  themselves ' '  is  the  rock  on  which  we  split.  Now  for 
the  great  soul  who  is  to  rise  up  and  lead  us.  Why  tarry  his 
footsteps  ? 

March  20th. — The  Merrimac  is  now  called  the  Virginia. 
I  think  these  changes  of  names  so  confusing  and  so  sense 
less.  Like  the  French  "  Royal  Bengal  Tiger,"  "  National 
Tiger,"  etc.  Rue  this,  and  next  day  Rue  that,  the  very 
days  and  months  a  symbol,  and  nothing  signified. 

I  was  lying  on  the  sofa  in  my  room,  and  two  men  slowly 
walking  up  and  down  the  corridor  talked  aloud  as  if  neces 
sarily  all  rooms  were  unoccupied  at  this  midday  hour.  I 
asked  Maum  Mary  who  they  were.  "  Yeadon  and  Barn- 
well  Rhett,  Jr."  They  abused  the  Council  roundly,  and 
my  husband's  name  arrested  my  attention.  Afterward, 
when  Yeadon  attacked  Mr.  Chesnut,  Mr.  Chesnut  sur 
prised  him  by  knowing  beforehand  all  he  had  to  say.  Nat 
urally  I  had  repeated  the  loud  interchange  of  views  I  had 
overheard  in  the  corridor. 

First,  Nathan  Davis  called.  Then  Gonzales,  who  pre 
sented  a  fine,  soldierly  appearance  in  his  soldier  clothes, 
and  the  likeness  to  Beauregard  was  greater  than  ever. 
Nathan,  all  the  world  knows,  is  by  profession  a  handsome 
man. 

General  Gonzales  told  us  what  in  the  bitterness  of  his 
soul  he  had  written  to  Jeff  Davis.  He  regretted  that  he  had 
not  been  his  classmate;  then  he  might  have  been  as  well 
treated  as  Northrop.  In  any  case  he  would  not  have  been 
refused  a  brigadiership,  citing  General  Trapier  and  Tom 
Drayton.  He  had  worked  for  it,  had  earned  it;  they  had 
not.  To  his  surprise,  Mr.  Davis  answered  him,  and  in  a 
sharp  note  of  four  pages.  Mr.  Davis  demanded  from  whom 
he  quoted,  "  not  his  classmate."  General  Gonzales  re 
sponded,  ' '  from  the  public  voice  only. ' '  Now  he  will  fight 
for  us  all  the  same,  but  go  on  demanding  justice  from  Jeff 
Davis  until  he  get  his  clues — at  least,  until  one  of  them  gets 

148 


MISS  S.    B.    C.    PRESTON. 


MISS    1SA15KLLA    D.    MAUT1X. 


USON    DAVIS. 


MRS.    LOCISA   S.    -McCORD 


MRS.    FRAN'CIS   W.    P1CKENS. 


MRS.    DAVID   R.    WILLIAMS. 

(The  author's  sister,  Kate.) 


A  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  WOMEN. 


MEN  BORN  IN  THE  NORTH 


his  dues,  for  he  means  to  go  on  hitting  Jeff  Davis  over  the 
head  whenever  he  has  a  chance. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  I,  "  you  will  find  it  a  hard  head 
to  crack. ' '  He  replied  in  his  flowery  Spanish  way :  * '  Jeff 
Davis  will  be  the  sun,  radiating  all  light,  heat,  and  patron 
age  ;  he  will  not  be  a  moon  reflecting  public  opinion,  for  he 
has  the  soul  of  a  despot;  he  delights  to  spite  public  opinion. 
See,  people  abused  him  for  making  Crittenden  brigadier. 
Straightway  he  made  him  major-general,  and  just  after  a 
blundering,  besotted  defeat,  too."  Also,  he  told  the  Presi 
dent  in  that  letter:  "  Napoleon  made  his  generals  after 
great  deeds  on  their  part,  and  not  for  having  been  educated 
at  St.  Cyr,  or  Brie,  or  the  Polytechnique, ' '  etc.,  etc.  Nathan 
Davis  sat  as  still  as  a  Sioux  warrior,  not  an  eyelash  moved. 
And  yet  he  said  afterward  that  he  was  amused  while  the 
Spaniard  railed  at  his  great  namesake. 

Gonzales  said : '  *  Mrs.  Slidell  would  proudly  say  that  she 
was  a  Creole.  They  were  such  fools,  they  thought  Creole 
meant —  Here  Nathan  interrupted  pleasantly :  "  At  the 
St.  Charles,  in  New  Orleans,  on  the  bill  of  fare  were 
'  Creole  eggs. '  When  they  were  brought  to  a  man  who  had 
ordered  them,  with  perfect  simplicity,  he  held  them  up, 
'  Why,  they  are  only  hens'  eggs,  after  all.'  What  in  Heav 
en's  name  he  expected  them  to  be,  who  can  say?  "  smiled 
Nathan  the  elegant. 

One  lady  says  (as  I  sit  reading  in  the  drawing-room 
window  while  Maum  Mary  puts  my  room  to  rights)  :  "I 
clothe  my  negroes  well.  I  could  not  bear  to  see  them  in 
dirt  and  rags;  it  would  be  unpleasant  to  me."  Another 
lady :  ' '  Yes.  Well,  so  do  I.  But  not  fine  clothes,  you 
know.  I  feel — now — it  was  one  of  our  sins  as  a  nation,  the 
way  we  indulged  them  in  sinful  finery.  We  will  be  pun 
ished  for  it." 

Last  night,  Mrs.  Pickens  met  General  Cooper.  Madam 
knew  General  Cooper  only  as  our  adjutant-general,  and 
Mr.  Mason  ?s  brother-in-law.  In  her  slow,  graceful,  impress- 

149 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

ive  way,  her  beautiful  eyes  eloquent  with  feeling,  she  in 
veighed  against  Mr.  Davis 's  wickedness  in  always  sending 
men  born  at  the  North  to  command  at  Charleston.  General 
Cooper  is  on  his  way  to  make  a  tour  of  inspection  there  now. 
The  dear  general  settled  his  head  on  his  cravat  with  the  aid 
of  his  forefinger ;  he  tugged  rather  more  nervously  with  the 
something  that  is  always  wrong  inside  of  his  collar,  and 
looked  straight  up  through  his  spectacles.  Some  one 
crossed  the  room,  stood  back  of  Mrs.  Pickens,  and  mur 
mured  in  her  ear,,  "  General  Cooper  was  born  in  New 
York."  Sudden  silence. 

Dined  with  General  Cooper  at  the  Prestons.  General 
Hampton  and  Blanton  Duncan  were  there  also;  the  latter 
a  thoroughly  free-and-easy  Western  man,  handsome  and 
clever;  more  audacious  than  either,  perhaps.  He  pointed 
to  Buck— Sally  Buchanan  Campbell  Preston.  "  What's 
that  girl  laughing  at?  "  Poor  child,  how  amazed  she 
looked.  He  bade  them  '  *  not  despair ;  all  the  nice  young  men 
would  not  be  killed  in  the  war ;  there  would  be  a  few  left. 
For  himself,  he  could  give  them  no  hope ;  Mrs.  Duncan  was 
uncommonly  healthy."  Mrs.  Duncan  is  also  lovely.  We 
have  seen  her. 

March  24th. — I  was  asked  to  the  Tognos'  tea,  so  refused 
a  drive  with  Mary  Preston.  As  I  sat  at  my  solitary  case 
mate,  waiting  for  the  time  to  come  for  the  Tognos,  saw 
Mrs.  Preston's  landau  pass,  and  Mr.  Venable  making  Mary 
laugh  at  some  of  his  army  stories,  as  only  Mr.  Venable  can. 
Already  I  felt  that  I  had  paid  too  much  for  my  whistle — 
that  is,  the  Togno  tea.  The  Gibbeses,  Trenholms,  Edmund 
Rhett,  there.  Edmund  Rhett  has  very  fine  eyes  and  makes 
fearful  play  with  them.  He  sits  silent  and  motionless,  with 
his  hands  on  his  knees,  his  head  bent  forward,  and  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  you.  I  could  think  of  nothing  like  it  but  a  set 
ter  and  a  covey  of  partridges. 

As  to  President  Davis,  he  sank  to  profounder  deeps  of 
abuse  of  him  than  even  Gonzales.  I  quoted  Yancey:  "  A 

150 


ONE'S  OWN   HUSBAND 


crew  may  not  like  their  captain,  but  if  they  are  mad  enough 
to  mutiny  while  a  storm  is  raging,  all  hands  are  bound 
to  go  to  the  bottom. ' '  After  that  I  contented  myself  with  a 
mild  shake  of  the  head  when  I  disagreed  with  him,  and  at 
last  I  began  to  shake  so  persistently  it  amounted  to  in 
cipient  palsy.  "  Jeff  Davis,"  he  said,  "  is  conceited, 
wrong-headed,  wranglesome,  obstinate — a  traitor."  "  Now 
I  have  borne  much  in  silence, ' '  said  I  at  last,  * '  but  that  is 
pernicious  nonsense.  Do  not  let  us  waste  any  more  time 
listening  to  your  quotations  from  the  Mercury." 

He  very  good-naturedly  changed  the  subject,  which  was 
easy  just  then,  for  a  delicious  supper  was  on  the  table 
ready  for  us.  But  Doctor  Gibbes  began  anew  the  fighting. 
He  helped  me  to  some  pate — "  Not  foie  gras,"  said 
Madame  Togno,  "  pate  perdreaux."  Doctor  Gibbes,  how 
ever,  gave  it  a  flavor  of  his  own.  "  Eat  it,"  said  he,  "  it 
is  good  for  you;  rich  and  wholesome;  healthy  as  cod-liver 
oil." 

A  queer  thing  happened.  At  the  post-office  a  man  saw  a 
small  boy  open  with  a  key  the  box  of  the  Governor  and  the 
Council,  take  the  contents  of  the  box  and  run  for  his  life. 
Of  course,  this  man  called  to  the  urchin  to  stop.  The  urchin 
did  not  heed,  but  seeing  himself  pursued,  began  tearing  up 
the  letters  and  papers.  He  was  caught  and  the  fragments 
were  picked  up.  Finding  himself  a  prisoner,  he  pointed 
out  the  negro  who  gave  him  the  key.  The  negro  was  ar 
rested. 

Governor J^ickens  called  tojsee  me  to-day.  We  began 
with  Fort  Sumter.  For  an  hour  did  we  hammer  at  that 
fortress.  We  took  it,  gun  by  gun.  He  was  very  pleasant 
and  friendly  in  his  manner. 

James  Chesnut  has  been  so  nice  this  winter;  so  reason 
able  and  considerate — that  is,  for  a  man.  The  night  I 
came  from  Madame  Togno 's,  instead  of  making  a  row  about 
the  lateness  of  the  hour,  he  said  he  was  ' '  so  wide  awake  and 
so  hungry."  I  put  on  my  dressing-gown  and  scrambled 

151 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  81,  1862 

• 

some  eggs,  etc.,  there  on  our  own  fire.  And  with  our  feet  on 
the  fender  and  the  small  supper-table  between  us,  we  en 
joyed  the  supper  and  glorious  gossip.  Rather  a  pleasant 
state  of  things  when  one's  own  husband  is  in  good  humor 
and  cleverer  than  all  the  men  outside. 

This  afternoon,  the  entente  cordiale  still  subsisting, 
Maum  Mary  beckoned  me  out  mysteriously,  but  Mr.  Ches- 
nut  said :  ' '  Speak  out,  old  woman ;  nobody  here  but  my 
self.  "  *  *  Mars  Nathum  Davis  wants  to  speak  to  her, ' '  said 
she.  So  I  hurried  off  to  the  drawing-room,  Maum  Mary 
flapping  her  down-at-the-heels  shoes  in  my  wake.  "  He's 
gwine  bekase  somebody  done  stole  his  boots.  How  could  he 
stay  bedout  boots?  "  So  Nathan  said  good-by.  Then 
we  met  General  Gist,  Maum  Mary  still  hovering  near,  and  I 
congratulated  him  on  being  promoted.  He  is  now  a  brig 
adier.  This  he  received  with  modest  complaisance.  "  I 
knowed  he  was  a  general,"  said  Maum  Mary  as  he  passed 
on,  ' '  he  told  me  as  soon  as  he  got  in  his  room  bef o '  his  boy 
put  down  his  trunks. ' ' 

As  Nathan,  the  unlucky,  said  good-by,  he  informed  me 
that  a  Mr.  Reed  from  Montgomery  was  in  the  drawing- 
room  and  wanted  to  see  me.  Mr.  Reed  had  traveled  with 
our  foreign  envoy,  Yancey.  I  was  keen  for  news  from 
abroad.  Mr.  Reed  settled  that  summarily.  "  Mr.  Yancey 
says  we  need  not  have  one  jot  of  hope.  He  could  bowstring 
Mallory  for  not  buying  arms  in  time.  The  very  best  citi 
zens  wanted  to  depose  the  State  government  and  take 
things  into  their  own  hands,  the  powers  that  be  being  in 
efficient.  Western  men  are  hurrying  to  the  front,  bestirring 
themselves.  In  two  more  months  we  shall  be  ready." 
What  could  I  do  but  laugh?  I  do  hope  the  enemy  will  be 
considerate  and  charitable  enough  to  wait  for  us. 

Mr.  Reed's  calm  faith  in  the  power  of  Mr.  Yancey 's 
eloquence  was  beautiful  to  see.  He  asked  for  Mr.  Chesnut. 
I  went  back  to  our  rooms,  swelling  with  news  like  a  pouter 
pigeon.  Mr.  Chesnut  said :  ' '  Well !  four  hours — a  call 

152 


EMANCIPATION   THREATENED 


from  Nathan  Davis  of  four  hours !  ' :  Men  are  too  absurd ! 
So  I  bear  the  honors  of  my  forty  years  gallantly.  I  can 
but  laugh.  * '  Mr.  Nathan  Davis  went  by  the  five-o  'clock 
train, ' '  I  said ;  * '  it  is  now  about  six  or  seven,  maybe  eight. 
I  have  had  so  many  visitors.  Mr.  Reed,  of  Alabama,  is  ask 
ing  for  you  out  there."  He  went  without  a  word,  but  I 
doubt  if  he  went  to  see  Mr.  Reed,  my  laughing  had  made 
him  so  angry. 

At  last  Lincoln  threatens  us  with  a  proclamation  abolish 
ing  slavery7^— here  in  the  free  SouthernConf  ederacy ;  and 
they  say  McClellan  is  deposed.  They_want  more  fighting 
— I  mean  the  government,  whose"skiiis  are  safe,  they  want 
more  fighting,  and  trust  to  luck  for  the  skill  of  the  new 
generals. 

March  28th. — I  did  leave  with  regret  Maum  Mary.  She 
was  such  a  good,  well-informed  old  thing.  My  Molly, 
though  perfection  otherwise,  does  not  receive  the  confiden 
tial  communications  of  new-made  generals  at  the  earliest 
moment.  She  is  of  very  limited  military  information. 
Maum  Mary  was  the  comfort  of  my  life.  She  saved  me 
from  all  trouble  as  far  as  she  could.  Seventy,  if  she  is  a 
day,  she  is  spry  and  active  as  a  cat,  of  a  curiosity  that 
knows  no  bounds,  black  and  clean;  also,  she  knows  a  joke 
at  first  sight,  and  she  is  honest.  I  fancy  the  negroes  are 
ashamed  to  rob  people  as  careless  as  James  Chesnut  and 
myself. 

One  night,  just  before  we  left  the  Congaree  House,  Mr. 
Chesnut  had  forgotten  to  tell  some  all-important  thing  to 

1  The  Emancipation  Proclamation  was  not  actually  issued  until 
September  22,  1862,  when  it  was  a  notice  to  the  Confederates  to  return 
to  the  Union,  emancipation  being  proclaimed  as  a  result  of  their  failure 
to  do  so.  The  real  proclamation,  freeing  the  slaves,  was  delayed  until 
January  1, 1863,  when  it  was  put  forth  as  a  war  measure.  Mrs.  Chesnut's 
reference  is  doubtless  to  President  Lincoln's  Message  to  Congress, 
March  6,  1862,  in  which  he  made  recommendations  regarding  the  abo 
lition  of  slavery. 

153 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

Governor  Gist,  who  was  to  leave  on  a  public  mission  next 
day.  So  at  the  dawn  of  day  he  put  on  his  dressing-gown  and 
went  to  the  Governor's  room.  He  found  the  door  unlocked 
and  the  Governor  fast  asleep.  He  shook  him.  Half-asleep, 
the  Governor  sprang  up  and  threw  his  arms  around  Mr. 
Chesnut  's  neck  and  said :  *  *  Honey,  is  it  you  ?  ' '  The  mis 
take  was  rapidly  set  right,  and  the  bewildered  plenipoten 
tiary  was  given  his  instructions.  Mr.  Chesnut  came  into 
my  room,  threw  himself  on  the  sofa,  and  nearly  laughed 
himself  to  extinction,  imitating  again  and  again  the  pa 
thetic  tone  of  the  Governor's  greeting. 

Mr.  Chesnut  calls  Lawrence  * '  Adolphe, ' '  but  says  he  is 
simply  perfect  as  a  servant.  Mary  Stevens  said:  "  I 
thought  Cousin  James  the  laziest  man  alive  until  I  knew  his 
man,  Lawrence."  Lawrence  will  not  move  an  inch  or  lift 
a  finger  for  any  one  but  his  master.  Mrs.  Middleton  po 
litely  sent  him  on  an  errand;  Lawrence,  too,  was  very  po 
lite;  hours  after,  she  saw  him  sitting  on  the  fence  of  the 
front  yard.  ' '  Didn  't  you  go  ?  "  she  asked.  * '  No,  ma  'am. 
I  am  waiting  for  Mars  Jeems."  Mrs.  Middleton  calls  him 
now,  "  Mr.  Take-it-Easy." 

My  very  last  day's  experience  at  the  Congaree.  I  was 
waiting  for  Mars  Jeems  in  the  drawing-room  when  a  lady 
there  declared  herself  to  be  the  wife  of  an  officer  in  Cling- 
man's  regiment.  A  gentleman  who  seemed  quite  friendly 
with  her,  told  her  all  Mr.  Chesnut  said,  thought,  intended 
to  do,  wrote,  and  felt.  I  asked:  "  Are  you  certain  of  all 
these  things  you  say  of  Colonel  Chesnut?  "  The  man 
hardly  deigned  to  notice  this  impertinent  interruption  from 
a  stranger  presuming  to  speak  but  who  had  not  been  intro 
duced!  After  he  went  out,  the  wife  of  Clingman's  officer 
was  seized  with  an  intuitive  curiosity.  ' '  Madam,  will  you 
tell  me  your  name?  "  I  gave  it,  adding,  "  I  dare  say  I 
showed  myself  an  intelligent  listener  when  my  husband's 
affairs  were  under  discussion. ' '  At  first,  I  refused  to  give 
my  name  because  it  would  have  embarrassed  her  friend  if 

154 


A   STRING    OF   PEARLS 


she  had  told  him  who  I  was.  The  man  was  Mr.  Chesnut's 
secretary,  but  I  had  never  seen  him  before. 

A  letter  from  Kate  says  she  had  been  up  all  night  pre 
paring  David's  things.  Little  Serena  sat  up  and  helped 
her  mother.  They  did  not  know  that  they  would  ever  see 
him  again.  Upon  reading  it,  I  wept  and  James  Chesnut 
cursed  the  Yankees. 

Gave  the  girls  a  quantity  of  flannel  for  soldiers '  shirts ; 
also  a  string  of  pearls  to  be  raffled  for  at  the  Gunboat  Fair. 
Mary  Witherspoon  has  sent  a  silver  tea-pot.  We  do  not 
spare  our  precious  things  now.  Our  silver  and  gold,  what 
are  they? — when  we  give  up  to  war  our  beloved. 

April  2d. — Dr.  Trezevant,  attending  Mr.  Chesnut,  who 
was  ill,  came  and  found  his  patient  gone ;  he  could  not  stand 
the  news  of  that  last  battle.  He  got  up  and  dressed,  weak 
as  he  was,  and  went  forth  to  hear  what  he  could  for  him 
self.  The  doctor  was  angry  with  me  for  permitting  this, 
and  more  angry  with  him  for  such  folly.  I  made  him  listen 
to  the  distinction  between  feminine  folly  and  virulent  va 
garies  and  nonsense.  He  said :  ' '  He  will  certainly  be  sali 
vated  after  all  that  calomel  out  in  this  damp  weather. ' ' 

To-day,  the  ladies  in  their  landaus  were  bitterly  attacked 
by  the  morning  paper  for  lolling  back  in  their  silks  and 
satins,  with  tall  footmen  in  livery,  driving  up  and  down 
the  streets  while  the  poor  soldiers '  wives  were  on  the  side 
walks.  It  is  the  old  story  of  rich  and  poor !  My  little  ba 
rouche  is  not  here,  nor  has  James  Chesnut  any  of  his  horses 
here,  but  then  I  drive  every  day  with  Mrs.  McCord  and 
Mrs.  Preston,  either  of  whose  turnouts  fills  the  bill.  The 
Governor's  carriage,  horses,  servants,  etc.,  are  splendid — 
just  what  they  should  be.  Why  not  1 

April  14th. — Our  Fair  is  in  full  blast.  We  keep  a 
restaurant.  Our  waitresses  are  Mary  and  Buck  Preston, 
Isabella  Martin,  and  Grace  Elmore. 

April  15th. — Trescott  is  too  clever  ever  to  be  a  bore; 
that  was  proved  to-day,  for  he  stayed  two  hours ;  as  usual, 
12  155 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

i     i.  i^i^ii.a  •!  i uj^mJL rjT.a.-Lj— . ~m •^^^^••rr»»iMMmM 

Mr.  Chesnut  said  "  four."  Trescott  was  very  surly;  calls 
himself  ex-Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States;  now, 
nothing  in  particular  of  South  Carolina  or  the  Confederate 
States.  Then  he  yawned,  "  What  a  bore  this  war  is.  I 
wish  it  was  ended,  one  way  or  another."  He  speaks  of 
going  across  the  border  and  taking  service  in  Mexico. 
"  Rubbish,  not  much  Mexico  for  you,"  I  answered.  An 
other  patriot  came  then  and  averred,  *  *  I  will  take  my  fam 
ily  back  to  town,  that  we  may  all  surrender  together.  I 
gave  it  up  early  in  the  spring."  Trescott  made  a  face  be 
hind  backs,  and  said:  "  Lache!  f> 

The  enemy  have  flanked  Beauregard  at  Nashville. 
There  is  grief  enough  for  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  now;  we 
begin  to  see  what  we  have  lost.  We  were  pushing  them  into 
the  river  when  General  Johnston  was  wounded.  Beaure 
gard  was  lying  in  his  tent,  at  the  rear,  in  a  green  sickness — 
melancholy — but  no  matter  what  the  name  of  the  malady. 
He  was  too  slow  to  move,  and  lost  all  the  advantage  gained 
by  our  dead  hero.1  Without  him  there  is  no  head  to  our 
Western  army.  Pulaski  has  fallen.  What  more  is  there 
to  fall? 

April  15th. — Mrs.  Middleton :  * '  How  did  you  settle 
Molly's  little  difficulty  with  Mrs.  McMahan,  that  l  piece  of 
her  mind  '  that  Molly  gave  our  landlady  ?  ' ''  ll  Oh,  paid  our 
way  out  of  it,  of  course,  and  I  apologized  for  Molly !  ' ' 

Gladden,  the  hero  of  the  Palmettos  in  Mexico,  is  killed. 
Shiloh  has  been  a  dreadful  blow  to  us.  Last  winter  Stephen, 
my  brother,  had  it  in  his  power  to  do  such  a  nice  thing  for 
Colonel  Gladden.  In  the  dark  he  heard  his  name,  also  that 
he  had  to  walk  twenty-five  miles  in  Alabama  mud  or  go  on 

1  The  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  in  Tennessee,  eighty- 
eight  miles  east  of  Memphis,  had  been  fought  on  April  6  and  7, 
1862.  The  Federals  were  commanded  by  General  Grant  who,  on  the 
second  day,  was  reenforced  by  General  Buell.  The  Confederates  were 
commanded  by  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  on  the  first  day,  when  Johnston 
was  killed,  and  on  the  second  day  by  General  Beauregard. 

156 


SHILOH 


an  ammunition  wagon.  So  he  introduced  himself  as  a 
South  Carolinian  to  Colonel  Gladden,  whom  he  knew  only 
by  reputation  as  colonel  of  the  Palmetto  regiment  in  the 
Mexican  war.  And  they  drove  him  in  his  carriage  comfort 
ably  to  where  he  wanted  to  go — a  night  drive  of  fifty  miles 
for  Stephen,  for  he  had  the  return  trip,  too.  I  would 
rather  live  in  Siberia,  worse  still,  in  Sahara,  than  live  in  a 
country  surrendered  to  Yankees. 

The  Carolinian  says  the  conscription  bill  passed  by  Con 
gress  is  fatal  to  our  liberties  as  a  people.  Let  us  be  a  people 
"  certain  and  sure,"  as  poor  Tom  B.  said,  and  then  talk  of 
rebelling  against  our  home  government. 

Sat  up  all  night.  Read  Eothen  straight  through,  our 
old  Wiley  and  Putnam  edition  that  we  bought  in  London  in 
1845.  How  could  I  sleep?  The  power  they  are  bringing 
to  bear  against  our  country  is  tremendous.  Its  weight  may 
be  irresistible — I  dare  not  think  of  that,  however. 

April  21st. — Have  been  ill.  One  day  I  dined  at  Mrs. 
Preston's,  pate  de  foie  gras  and  partridge  prepared  for 
me  as  I  like  them.  I  had  been  awfully  depressed  for  days 
and  could  not  sleep  at  night  for  anxiety,  but  I  did  not 
know  that  I  was  bodily  ill.  Mrs.  Preston  came  home  with 
me.  She  said  emphatically:  "Molly,  if  your  mistress  is 
worse  in  the  night  send  for  me  instantly."  I  thought  it 
very  odd.  I  could  not  breathe  if  I  attempted  to  lie  down, 
and  very  soon  I  lost  my  voice.  Molly  raced  out  and  sent 
Lawrence  for  Doctor  Trezevant.  She  said  I  had  the  croup. 
The  doctor  said,  ' '  congestion  of  the  lungs. ' ' 

So  here  I  am,  stranded,  laid  by  the  heels.  Battle  after 
battle  has  occurred,  disaster  after  disaster.  Every  morn 
ing  's  paper  is  enough  to  kill  a  well  woman  and  age  a  strong 
and  hearty  one. 

To-day,  the  waters  of  this  stagnant  pool  were  wildly 
stirred.  The  President  telegraphed  for  my  husband  to 
come  on  to  Richmond,  and  offered  him  a  place  on  his  staff. 
I  was  a  joyful  woman.  It  was  a  way  opened  by  Providence 

157 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

from  this  Slough  of  Despond,  this  Council  whose  counsel  no 
one  takes.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Davis,  "With  thanks,  and  beg 
ging  your  pardon,  how  I  would  like  to  go."  Mrs.  Preston 
agrees  with  me,  Mr.  Chesnut  ought  to  go.  Through  Mr. 
Chesnut  the  President  might  hear  many  things  to  the  ad 
vantage  of  our  State,  etc. 

Letter  from  Quinton  Washington.  That  was  the  best 
tonic  yet.  He  writes  so  cheerfully.  We  have  fifty  thousand 
men  on  the  Peninsula  and  McClellan  eighty  thousand.  We 
expect  that  much  disparity  of  numbers.  We  can  stand  that. 

April  23d. — On  April  23,  1840,  I  was  married,  aged 
seventeen ;  consequently  on  the  31st  of  March,  1862,  I  was 
thirty-nine.  I  saw  a  wedding  to-day  from  my  window, 
which  opens  on  Trinity  Church.  Nanna  Shand  married  a 
Doctor  Wilson.  Then,  a  beautiful  bevy  of  girls  rushed  into 
my  room.  Such  a  flutter  and  a  chatter.  Well,  thank 
Heaven  for  a  wedding.  It  is  a  charming  relief  from  the 
dismal  litany  tff-trnr~tlaily  songT" 

A  letter  to^Hay  from  our  octogenarian  at  Mulberry. 
His  nephew,  Jack  Deas,  had  two  horses  shot  under  him ;  the 
old  Colonel  has  his  growl,  "  That's  enough  for  glory,  and 
no  hurt  after  all."  He  ends,  however,  with  his  never-fail 
ing  refrain :  We  can 't  fight  all  the  world ;  two  and  two  only 
make  four;  it  can't  make  a  thousand;  numbers  will  not  lie. 
He  says  he  has  lost  half  a  million  already  in  railroad  bonds, 
bank  stock,  Western  notes  of  hand,  not  to  speak  of  negroes 
to  be  freed,  and  lands  to  be  confiscated,  for  he  takes  the 
gloomiest  views  of  all  things. 

April  26th. — Doleful  dumps,  alarm-bells  ringing.  Tele 
grams  say  the  mortar  fleet  has  passed  the  forts  at  New 
Orleans.  Down  into  the  very  depths  of  despair  are  we. 

April  27th. — New  Orleans  gone  *  and  with  it  the  Con- 


1  New  Orleans  had  been  seized  by  the  Confederates  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  war.  Steps  to  capture  it  were  soon  taken  by  the  Federals  and 
on  April  18,  1862,  the  mortar  flotilla,  under  Farragut,  opened  fire 

158 


FARRAGUT  TAKES  NEW  ORLEANS 

federacy.  That  Mississippi  rniT\3jTg  if  lost.  The  Confed 
eracy  has  been  done  to  death  by  the  politicians.  What 
wonder  we  are  lost. 

The  soldiefgrhave  clonp  their  duty.  All  honor  to  the 
army.  Statesmen  as  busy  as  bees  about  their  own  places, 
or  their  personal  honor,  too  busy  to  see  the  enemy  at  a  dis 
tance.  With  a  microscope  they  were  examining  their  own 
interests,  or  their  own  wrongs,  forgetting  the  interests  of  the 
people  they  represented.  They  were  concocting  newspaper 
paragraphs  to  injure  the  government.  No  matter  how 
vital  it  may  be,  nothing  can  be  kept  from  the  enemy.  They 
must  publish  themselves,  night  and  day,  what  they  are  do 
ing,  or  the  omniscient  Buncombe  will  forget  them. 

This  fall  of  New  Orleans  means  utter  ruin  to  the  pri 
vate  fortunes  of  the  Prestons.  Mr.  Preston  came  from  New 
Orleans  so  satisfied  writh  Mansfield  Lovell  and  the  tremen 
dous  steam-rams  he  saw  there.  While  in  New  Orleans 
Burnside  offered  Mr.  Preston  five  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars,  a  debt  due  to  him  from  Burnside,  and  he  refused  to 
take  it.  He  said  the  money  was  safer  in  Burnside 's  hands 
than  his.  And  so  it  may  prove,  so  ugly  is  the  outlook  now. 
Burnside  is  wide  awake ;  he  is  not  a  man  to  be  caught  nap 
ping. 

Mary  Preston  was  saying  she  had  asked  the  Hamptons 
how  they  relished  the  idea  of  being  paupers.  If  the  country 
is  saved  none  of  us  will  care  for  that  sort  of  thing.  Philo 
sophical  and  patriotic,  Mr.  Chesnut  came  in,  saying: 
' '  Conrad  has  been  telegraphed  from  New  Orleans  that  the 
great  iron-clad  Louisiana  went  down  at  the  first  shot." 
Mr.  Chesnut  and  Mary  Preston  walked  off,  first  to  the  bul 
letin-board  and  then  to  the  Prestons'. 


on  its  protecting  forts.  Making  little  impression  on  them,  Farragut 
ran  boldly  past  the  forts  and  destroyed  the  Confederate  fleet,  compris 
ing  13  gunboats  and  two  ironclads.  On  April  27th  he  took  formal 
possession  of  the  city. 

159 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

April  29th. — A  grand  smash,  the  news  from  New  Or 
leans  fatal  to  us.  Met  Mr.  Weston.  He  wanted  to  know 
where  he  could  find  a  place  of  safety  for  two  hundred  ne 
groes.  I  looked  into  his  face  to  see  if  he  were  in  earnest; 
then  to  see  if  he  were  sane.  There  was  a  certain  set  of 
two  hundred  negroes  that  had  grown  to  be  a  nuisance.  Ap 
parently  all  the  white  men  of  the  family  had  felt  bound 
to  stay  at  home  to  take  care  of  them.  There  are  people 
who  still  believe  negroes  property — like  Noah's  neighbors, 
who  insisted  that  the  Deluge  would  only  be  a  little  shower 
after  all. 

These  negroes,  however^  were  Plowden  Weston 's,  a  to 
tally  different  part  of  speech.  He  gave  field-rifles  to  one 
company  and  forty  thousand  dollars  to  another.  He  is 
away  with  our  army  at  Corinth.  So  I  said:  "  You  may 
rely  upon  Mr.  Chesnut,  who  will  assist  you  to  his  uttermost 
in  finding  a  home  for  these  people.  Nothing  belonging  to 
that  patriotic  gentleman  shall  come  to  grief  if  we  have  to 
take  charge  of  them  on  our  own  place. ' '  Mr.  Chesnut  did 
get  a  place  for  them,  as  I  said  he  would. 

Had  to  go  to  the  Governor's  or  they  would  think  we 
had  hoisted  the  black  flag.  Heard  there  we  are  going  to 
be  beaten  as  Cortez  beat  the  Mexicans — by  superior  arms. 
Mexican  bows  and  arrows  made  a  poor  showing  in  the  face 
of  Spanish  accoutrements.  Our  enemies  have  such  superior 
weapons  of  war,  we  hardly  any  but  what  we  capture  from 
them  in  the  fray.  The  Saxons  and  the  Normans  were  in 
the  same  plight. 

War  seems  a  game  of  chess,  but  we  have  an  unequal 
f  number  of  pawns  to  begin  with.  We  have  knights,  kings, 
queens,  bishops,  and  castles  enough.  But  our  skilful  gen 
erals,  whenever  they  can  not  arrange  the  board  to  suit  them 
exactly,  burn  up  everything  and  march  away.  We  want 
them  to  save  the  country.  They  seem  to  think  their  whole 
duty  is  to  destroy  ships  and  save  the  army. 

Mr.  Robert  Barnwell  wrote '  that  he  had  to  hang  his 

160 


THE   SIEGE  OF  YORKTOWN 


head  for  South  Carolina.  We  had  not  furnished  our  quota 
of  the  new  levy,  five  thousand  men.  To-day  Colonel  Ches- 
nut  published  his  statement  to  show  that  we  have  sent  thir 
teen  thousand,  instead  of  the  mere  number  required  of  us ; 
so  Mr.  Barnwell  can  hold  up  his  head  again. 

April  30lh. — The  last  day  of  this  month  of  calamities. 
Lovell  left  the  women  and  children  to  be  shelled,  and  took 
the  army  to  a  safe  place.  I  do  not  understand  why  we  do 
not  send  the  women  and  children  to  the  safe  place  and  let 
the  army  stay  where  the  fighting  is  to  be.  Armies  are  to 
save,  not  to  be  saved.  At  least,  to  be  saved  is  not  their 
raison  d'etre  exactly.  If  this  goes' on  the  spirit  of  our  peo 
ple  will  be  broken.  One  ray  of  comfort  comes  from  Henry 
Marshall.  ' '  Our  Army  of  the  Peninsula  is  fine ;  so  good  I 
do  not  think  McClellan  will  venture  to  attack  it. ' '  So  mote 
it  be. 

May  6th. — Mine  is  a  painful,  self-imposed  task :  but  why 
write  when  I  have  nothing  to  chronicle  but  disaster  ? x  So 
I  read  instead :  First,  Consuelo,  then  Columba,  two  ends  of 
the  pole  certainly,  and  then  a  translated  edition  of  Elective 
Affinities.  Food  enough  for  thought  in  every  one  of  this 
odd  assortment  of  books. 

At  the  Prestons',  where  I  am  staying    (because  Mr. 
Chesnut  has  gone  to  see  his  crabbed  old  father,  whom  he 
loves,  and  who  is  reported  ill),  I  met  Christopher  Hamp 
ton.    He  tells  us  Wigf all  is  out  on  a  warpath ;  wants  them 
to  strike  for  Maryland.     The  President 's  opinion  of  the  * 
move  is  not  given.    Also  Mr.  Hampton  met  the  first  lieuten 
ant  of  the  Kirkwoods,  E.  M.  Boykin.     Says  he  is  just  the 
same  man  he  was  in  the  South  Carolina  College.    In  what-*' 
ever  company  you  may  meet  him,  he  is  the  pleasantest  man 
there. 

A  telegram  reads:  "  We  have  repulsed  the  enemy  at 


1  The  Siege  of  Yorktown^was  begun  on  April  5,  1862,  the  place 
being  evacuated  by  the  Confederates  on  May  4th. 

161 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  91,  1869 

Williamsburg. ' ' 1  Oh,  if  we  could  drive  them  back  *  *  to 
their  ain  countree !  ' '  Richmond  was  hard  pressed  this  day. 
The  Mercury  of  to-day  says,  "  Jeff  Davis  now  treats  all 
men  as  if  they  were  idiotic  insects. ' ' 

Mary  Preston  said  all  sisters  quarreled.  No,  we  never 
quarrel,  I  and  mine.  We  keep  all  our  bitter  words  for  our 
enemies.  We  are  frank  heathens ;  we  hate  our  enemies  and 
love  our  friends.  Some  people  (our  kind)  can  never  make 
up  after  a  quarrel ;  hard  words  once  only  and  all  is  over.  To 
us  forgiveness  is  impossible.  Forgiveness  means  calm  in 
difference;  philosophy,  while  love  lasts.  Forgiveness  of 
love's  wrongs  is  impossible.  Those  dutiful  wives  who 
piously  overlook — well,  everything — do  not  care  one  fig  for 
their  husbands.  I  settled  that  in  my  own  mind  years  ago. 
Some  people  think  it  magnanimous  to  praise  their  enemies 
and  to  show  their  impartiality  and  justice  by  acknowledg 
ing  the  faults  of  their  friends.  I  am  for  the  simple  rule, 
the  good  old  plan.  I  praise  whom  I  love  and  abuse  whom 
I  hate. 

Mary  Preston  has  been  translating  Schiller  aloud.  We 
are  provided  with  Bulwer's  translation,  Mrs.  Austin's, 
Coleridge's,  and  Carlyle's,  and  we  show  how  each  renders 
the  passage  Mary  is  to  convert  into  English.  In  Wallen- 
stein  at  one  point  of  the  Max  and  Thekla  scene,  I  like  Car- 
lyle  better  than  Coleridge,  though  they  say  Coleridge 's  Wal- 
4  lenstein  is  the  only  translation  in  the  world  half  so  good  as 
*  the  original.  Mrs.  Barstow  repeated  some  beautiful  scraps 
by  Uhland,  which  I  had  never  heard  before.  She  is  to 
write  them  for  us.  Peace,  and  a  literary  leisure  for  my 
old  age,  unbroken  by  care  and  anxiety! 

General  Preston  accused  me  of  degenerating  into  a 
boarding-house  gossip,  and  is  answered  triumphantly  by 


1  The  battle  of  Williamsburg  was  fought  on  May  5,  1862,  by  a  part 
of  McClellan's  army,  under  General  Hooker  and  others,  the  Confederates 
being  commanded  by  General  Johnston. 

162 


HAMPTON  GIRLS  ON  SLAVERY 

his  daughters:    "  But,  papa,  one  you  love  to  gossip  with 
full  well." 

Hampton  estate  has  fifteen  hundred  negroes  on  Lake 
Washington,  Mississippi.  Hampton  girls  talking  in  the 
language  of  James 's  novels :  ' '  Neither  Wade  nor  Preston 
— that  splendid  boy ! — would  lay  a  lance  in  rest — or  couch 
it,  which  is  the  right  phrase  for  fighting,  to  preserve  slav 
ery.  They  hate  it  as  we  do."  "  What  are  they  fighting 
for?  '!  "  Southern  rights — whatever  that  is.  And  they 
do  not  want  to  be  understrappers  forever  to  the  Yankees. 
They  talk  well  enough  about  it,  but  I  forget  what  they 
say. ' '  Johnny  Chesnut  says :  ' '  No  use  to  give  a  reason — 
a  fellow  could  not  stay  away  from  the  fight — not  well. ' '  It 
takes  four  negroes  to  wrait  on  Johnny  satisfactorily. 

It  is  this  giving  up  that  kills  me.  Norfolk  they  talk  of 
now ;  why  not  Charleston  next  ?  I  read  in  a  Western  letter, 
"  Not  Beauregard,  but  the  soldiers  who  stopped  to  drink 
the  whisky  they  had  captured  from  the  enemy,  lost  us  Shi- 
loh. ' '  Cock  Robin  is  as  dead  as  he  ever  will  be  now ;  what 
matters  it  who  killed  him? 

May  12th. — Mr.  Chesnut  says  he  is  very  glad  he  went  to 
town.  Everything  in  Charleston  is  so  much  more  satisfac 
tory  than  it  is  reported.  Troops  are  in  good  spirits.  It  will 
take  a  lot  of  iron-clads  to  take  that  city. 

Isaac  Hayne  said  at  dinner  yesterday  that  both  Beaure 
gard  and  the  President  had  a  great  opinion  of  Mr.  Ches 
nut 's  natural  ability  for  strategy  and  military  evolution. 
Hon.  Mr.  Barnwell  concurred;  that  is,  Mr.  Barnwell  had 
been  told  so  by  the  President.  ' '  Then  why  did  not  the  Pres 
ident  offer  me  something  better  than  an  aideship?  "  "I 
heard  he  offered  to  make  you  a  general  last  year,  and  you 
said  you  could  not  go  over  other  men 's  shoulders  until  you 
had  earned  promotion.  You  are  too  hard  to  please. "  ll  No, 
not  exactly  that,  I  was  only  offered  a  colonelcy,  and  Mr. 
Barnwell  persuaded  me  to  stick  to  the  Senate;  then  he 

163 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

_ ^ -.,-_— 

wanted  my  place,  and  between  the  two  stools  I  fell  to  the 
ground. ' ' 

My  Molly  will  forget  Lige  and  her  babies,  too.  I  asked 
her  who  sent  me  that  beautiful  bouquet  I  found  on  my  cen 
ter-table.  * '  I  give  it  to  you.  'Twas  give  to  me. ' '  And  Molly 
was  all  wriggle,  giggle,  blush. 

May  18th. — Norfolk  has  been  burned  and  the  Merrimac 
sunk  without  striking  a  blow  since  her  coup  d'etat  in  Hamp 
ton  Roads.  Read  Milton.  See  the  speech  of  Adam  to  Eve 
in  a  new  light.  Women  will  not  stay  at  home ;  will  go  out 
to  see  and  be  seen,  even  if  it  be  by  the  devil  himself. 

Very  encouraging  letters  from  Hon.  Mr.  Memminger 
and  from  L.  Q.  Washington.  They  tell  the  same  story  in 
very  different  words.  It  amounts  to  this:  "  Not  one  foot 
of  Virginia  soil  is  to  be  given  up  without  a  bitter  fight  for 
it.  We  have  one  hundred  and  five  thousand  men  in  all, 
McClellan  one  hundred  and  ninety  thousand.  We  can 
stand  that  disparity. ' ' 

What  things  I  have  been  said  to  have  said!  Mr.  

heard  me  make  scoffing  remarks  about  the  Governor  and  the 
Council — or  he  thinks  he  heard  me.  James  Chesnut  wrote 
him  a  note  that  my  name  was  to  be  kept  out  of  it — indeed, 
that  he  was  never  to  mention  my  name  again  under  any  pos 
sible  circumstances.  It  was  all  preposterous  nonsense,  but  it 
annoyed  my  husband  amazingly.  He  said  it  was  a  scheme 
to  use  my  chatter  to  his  injury.  He  was  very  kind  about  it. 
He  knows  my  real  style  so  well  that  he  can  always  tell  my 
real  impudence  from  what  is  fabricated  for  me. 

There  is  said  to  be  an  order  from  Butler  *  turning  over 

1  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler  took  command  of  New  Orleans  on 
May  2,  1862.  The  author's  reference  is  to  his  famous  "Order  No.  28," 
which  reads:  "As  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States  have 
been  subject  to  repeated  insults  from  the  women  (calling  themselves 
ladies)  of  New  Orleans,  in  return  for  the  most  scrupulous  non-interfer 
ence  and  courtesy  on  our  part,  it  is  ordered  that  hereafter  when  an}' 
female  shall  by  word,  gesture,  or  movement,  insult  or  show  contempt 

164 


BUTLER   AT   NEW   ORLEANS 


the  women  of  New  Orleans  to  his  soldiers.  Thus  is  the 
measure  of  his  iniquities  filled.  We  thought  that  generals 
always  restrained,  by  shot  or  sword  if  need  be,  the  brutal 
ity  of  soldiers.  This  hideous,  cross-eyed  beast  orders  his 
men  to  treat  the  ladies  of  New  Orleans  as  women  of  the 
town — to  punish  them,  he  says,  for  their  insolence. 

Footprints  on  the  boundaries  of  another  world  once 
more.  Willie  Taylor,  before  he  left  home  for  the  army, 
fancied  one  day — day,  remember — that  he  saw  Albert 
Rhett  standing  by  his  side.  He  recoiled  from  the  ghostly 
presence.  "  You  need  not  do  that,  Willie.  You  will  soon 
be  as  I  am. ' '  Willie  rushed  into  the  next  room  to  tell  them 
what  had  happened,  and  fainted.  It  had  a  very  depressing 
effect  upon  him.  And  now  the  other  day  he  died  in  Vir 
ginia. 

May  24th. — The  enemy  are  landing  at  Georgetown. 
With  a  little  more  audacity  where  could  they  not  land? 
But  we  have  given  them  such  a  scare,  they  are  cautious.  If 
it  be  true,  I  hope  some  cool-headed  white  men  will  make 
the  negroes  save  the  rice  for  us.  It  is  so  much  needed. 
They  say  it  might  have  been  done  at  Port  Royal  with  a  lit 
tle  more  energy.  South  Carolinians  have  pluck  enough,  but 
they  only  work  by  fits  and  starts;  there  is  no  continuous 
effort;  they  can't  be  counted  on  for  steady  work.  They 
will  stop  to  play — or  enjoy  life  in  some  shape. 

Without  let  or  hindrance  Halleck  is  being  reenforced. 
Beauregard,  unmolested,  was  making  some  fine  speeches — 
and  issuing  proclamations,  while  we  were  fatuously  looking 
for  him  to  make  a  tiger's  spring  on  Huntsville.  Why  not? 
Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  Southern  breast. 

for  any  officer  or  soldier  of  the  United  States  she  shall  be  regarded  and 
held  liable  to  be  treated  as  a  woman  of  the  town  plying  her  vocation." 
This  and  other  acts  of  Butler  in  New  Orleans  led  Jefferson  Davis  to 
issue  a  proclamation,  declaring  Butler  to  be  a  felon  and  an  outlaw,  and 
if  captured  that  he  should  be  instantly  hanged.  In  December  Butler 
was  superseded  at  New  Orleans  by  General  Banks. 

165 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

My  Hebrew  friend,  Mem  Cohen,  has  a  son  in  the  war. 
He  is  in  John  Chesnut's  company.  Cohen  is  a  high  name 
among  the  Jews:  it  means  Aaron.  She  has  long  fits  of 
silence,  and  is  absent-minded.  If  she  is  suddenly  roused, 
she  is  apt  to  say,  with  overflowing  eyes  and  clasped  hands, 
*  *  If  it  please  God  to  spare  his  life. ' '  Her  daughter  is  the 
sweetest  little  thing.  The  son  is  the  mother's  idol.  Mrs. 
Cohen  was  Miriam  de  Leon.  I  have  known  her  intimately 
ail  my  life. 

Mrs.  Bartow,  the  widow  of  Colonel  Bartow,  who  was 
killed  at  Manassas,  was  Miss  Berrien,  daughter  of  Judge 
Berrien,  of  Georgia.  She  is  now  in  one  of  the  departments 
here,  cutting  bonds — Confederate  bonds — for  five  hundred 
Confederate  dollars  a  year,  a  penniless  woman.  Judge 
Carroll,  her  brother-in-law,  has  been  urgent  with  her  to 
come  and  live  in  his  home.  He  has  a  large  family  and  she 
will  not  be  an  added  burden  to  him.  In  spite  of  all  he  can 
say,  she  will  not  forego  her  resolution.  She  will  be  inde 
pendent.  She  is  a  resolute  little  woman,  with  the  softest, 
silkiest  voice  and  ways,  and  clever  to  the  last  point. 

Columbia  is  the  place  for  good  living,  pleasant  people, 
pleasant  dinners,  pleasant  drives.  I  feel  that  I  have  put 
the  dinners  irithe  wrong  place.  They  are  the  climax  of  the 
good  things  here.  This  is  the  most  hospitable  place  in  the 
world,  and  the  dinners  are  worthy  of  it. 

In  Washington,  there  was  an  endless  succession  of  state 
dinners.  I  was  kindly  used.  I  do  not  remember  ever  be 
ing  condemned  to  two  dull  neighbors:  on  one  side  or  the 
other  was  a  clever  man ;  so  I  liked  Washington  dinners. 

In  Montgomery,  there  were  a  few  dinners — Mrs.  Pol 
lard's,  for  instance,  but  the  society  was  not  smoothed  down 
or  in  shape.  Such  as  it  was  it  was  given  over  to  balls  and 
suppers.  In  Charleston,  Mr.  Chesnut  went  to  gentlemen's 
dinners  all  the  time ;  no  ladies  present.  Flowers  were  sent 
to  me,  and  I  was  taken  to  drive  and  asked  to  tea.  There 
could  not  have  been  nicer  suppers,  more  perfect  of  their 

1G6 


DELIGHTFUL   SOCIETY 


kind  than  were  to  be  found  at  the  winding  up  of  those  fes 
tivities. 

In  Richmond,  there  were  balls,  which  I  did  not  attend — 
very  few  to  which  I  was  asked:  the  MacFarlands'  and 
Lyons 's,  all  I  can  remember.  James  Chesnut  dined  out 
nearly  every  day.  But  then  the  breakfasts — the  Virginia 
breakfasts — where  were  always  pleasant  people.  Indeed,  I 
have  had  a  good  time  everywhere — always  clever  people, 
and  people  I  liked,  and  everybody  so  good  to  me. 

Here  in  Columbia,  family  dinners  are  the  specialty. 
You  call,  or  they  pick  you  up  and  drive  home  with  you. 
* '  Oh,  stay  to  dinner !  ' '  and  you  stay  gladly.  They  send  for 
your  husband,  and  he  comes  willingly.  Then  comes  a  per 
fect  dinner.  You  do  not  see  how  it  could  be  improved; 
and  yet  they  have  not  had  time  to  alter  things  or  add  be 
cause  of  the  unexpected  guests.  They  have  everything  of 
the  best— silver,  glass,  china,  table  linen,  and  damask,  etc. 
And  then  the  planters  live  "  within  themselves,"  as  they 
call  it.  From  the  plantations  come  mutton,  beef,  poultry, 
cream,  butter,  eggs,  fruits,  and  vegetables. 

It  is  easy  to  live  here,  with  a  cook  who  has  been  sent  for 
training  to  the  best  eating-house  in  Charleston.  Old  Mrs. 
Chesnut 's  Romeo  was  apprenticed  at  Jones's.  I  do  not 
know  where  Mrs.  Preston's  got  his  degree,  but  he  deserves 
a  medal. 

At  the  Prestons',  James  Chesnut  induced  Buck  to  de 
claim  something  about  Joan  of  Arc,  which  she  does  in  a 
manner  to  touch  all  hearts.  While  she  was  speaking,  my 
husband  turned  to  a  young  gentleman  who  was  listening 
to  the  chatter  of  several  girls,  and  said :  "  Ecoutez!  '''  The 
youth  stared  at  him  a  moment  in  bewilderment;  then, 
gravely  rose  and  began  turning  down  the  gas.  Isabella 
said :  ' '  Ecoutez,  then,  means  put  out  the  lights. ' ' 

I  recall  a  scene  which  took  place  during  a  ball  given  by 
Mrs.  Preston  while  her  husband  was  in  Louisiana.  Mrs. 
Preston  was  resplendent  in  diamonds,  point  lace,  and  vel- 

167 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,    %S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

vet.  There  is  a  gentle  dignity  about  her  which  is  very  at 
tractive;  her  voice  is  low  and  sweet,  and  her  will  is  iron. 
She  is  exceedingly  well  informed,  but  very  quiet,  retiring, 
and  reserved.  Indeed,  her  apparent  gentleness  almost 
amounts  to  timidity.  She  has  chiseled  regularity  of  fea 
tures,  a  majestic  figure,  perfectly  molded. 

Governor  Manning  said  to  me:  "  Look  at  Sister  Caro 
line.  Does  she  look  as  if  she  had  the  pluck  of  a  heroine?  " 
Then  he  related  how  a  little  while  ago  William,  the  butler, 
came  to  tell  her  that  John,  the  footman,  was  drunk  in  the 
cellar — mad  with  drink ;  that  he  had  a  carving-knife  which 
he  was  brandishing  in  drunken  fury,  and  he  was  keeping 
everybody  from  their  business,  threatening  to  kill  any  one 
who  dared  to  go  into  the  basement.  They  were  like  a 
flock  of  frightened  sheep  down  there.  She  did  not  speak 
to  one  of  us,  but  followed  William  down  to  the  basement, 
holding  up  her  skirts.  She  found  the  servants  scurrying 
everywhere,  screaming  and  shouting  that  John  was 
crazy  and  going  to  kill  them.  John  was  bellowing  like 
a  bull  of  Bashan,  knife  in  hand,  chasing  them  at  his 
pleasure. 

Mrs.  Preston  walked  up  to  him.  "  Give  me  that  knife/' 
she  demanded.  He  handed  it  to  her.  She  laid  it  on  the 
table.  "  Now  come  with  me,"  she  said,  putting  her  hand 
on  his  collar.  She  led  him  away  to  the  empty  smoke-house, 
and  there  she  locked  him  in  and  put  the  key  in  her  pocket. 
Then  she  returned  to  her  guests,  without  a  ripple  on  her 
placid  face.  '  *  She  told  me  of  it,  smiling  and  serene  as  you 
see  her  now, ' '  the  Governor  concluded. 

Before  the  war  shut  him  in,  General  Preston  sent  to  the 
lakes  for  his  salmon,  to  Mississippi  for  his  venison,  to  the 
mountains  for  his  mutton  and  grouse.  It  is  good  enough, 
the  best  dish  at  all  these  houses,  what  the  Spanish  call  '  *  the 
hearty  welcome. ' '  Thackeray  says  at  every  American  table 
he  was  first  served  with  "  grilled  hostess."  At  the  head 
of  the  table  sat  a  person,  fiery-faced,  anxious,  nervous,  in- 

168 


HOSPITALITY    AT    MULBERRY 

wardly  murmuring,  like  Falstaff,  "  Would  it  were  night, 
Hal,  and  all  were  well. ' ' 

At  Mulberry  the  house  is  always  filled  to  overflowing, 
and  one  day  is  curiously  like  another.  People  are  coming 
and  going,  carriages  driving  up  or  driving  off.  It  has  the 
air  of  a  watering-place,  where  one  does  not  pay,  and  where 
there  are  no  strangers.  At  Christmas  the  china  closet  gives 
up  its  treasures.  The  glass,  china,  silver,  fine  linen  reserved 
for  grand  occasions  come  forth.  As  for  the  dinner  itself, 
it  is  only  a  matter  of  greater  quantity — more  turkey,  more 
mutton,  more  partridges,  more  fish,  etc.,  and  more  solemn 
stiffness.  Usually  a  half-dozen  persons  unexpectedly  drop 
ping  in  make  no  difference.  The  family  let  the  housekeeper 
know;  that  is  all. 

People  are  beginning  to  come  here  from  Richmond. 
One  swallow  does  not  make  a  summer,  but  it  shows  how  the 
wind  blows,  these  straws  do — Mrs.  "  Constitution  "  Browne 
and  Mrs.  Wise.  The  Gibsons  are  at  Doctor  Gibbes's.  It 
does  look  squally.  We  are  drifting  on  the  breakers. 

May  29th. — Betsey,  recalcitrant  maid  of  the  W.'s,  has 
been  sold  to  a  telegraph  man.  She  is  as  handsome  as  a  mu 
latto  ever  gets  to  be,  and  clever  in  every  kind  of  work.  My 
Molly  thinks  her  mistress  li  very  lucky  in  getting  rid  of 
her."  She  was  "  a  dangerous  inmate,"  but  she  will  be  a 
good  cook,  a  good  chambermaid,  a  good  dairymaid,  a  beauti 
ful  clear-starcher,  and  the  most  thoroughly  good-for-noth 
ing  woman  I  know  to  her  new  owners,  if  she  chooses. 
Molly  evidently  hates  her,  but  thinks  it  her  duty  ' '  to  stand 
by  her  color." 

Mrs.  Gibson  is  a  Philadelphia  woman.  She  is  true  to 
her  husband  and  children,  but  she  does  not  believe  in  us — 
the  Confederacy,  I  mean.  She  is  despondent  and  hopeless ; 
as  wanting  in  faith  of  our  ultimate  success  as  is  Sally  Bax 
ter  Hampton.  I  make  allowances  for  those  people.  If  I 
had  married  North,  they  would  have  a  heavy  handful  in  me 
just  now  up  there. 

169 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  .S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

Mrs.  Chesnut,  my  mother-in-law,  has  been  sixty  years 
in  the  South,  and  she  has  not  changed  in  feeling  or  in  taste 
one  iota.  She  can  not  like  hominy  for  breakfast,  or  rice  for 
dinner,  without  a  relish  to  give  it  some  flavor.  She  can  not 
eat  watermelons  and  sweet  potatoes  sans  discretion,  as  we 
do.  She  will  not  eat  hot  corn  bread  a  discretion,  and  hot 
buttered  biscuit  without  any. 

"  Richmond  is  obliged  to  fall,"  sighed  Mrs.  Gibson. 
' '  You  would  say  so,  too,  if  you  had  seen  our  poor  soldiers. ' ' 
"  Poor  soldiers?  "  said  I.  "  Are  you  talking  of  Stonewall 
Jackson's  men?  Poor  soldiers,  indeed!  "  She  said  her 
mind  was  fixed  on  one  point,  and  had  ever  been,  though  she 
married  and  came  South :  she  never  would  own  slaves. 
"  Who  would  that  was  not  born  to  it?  "  I  cried,  more  ex 
cited  than  ever.  She  is  very  handsome,  very  clever,  and 
has  very  agreeable  manners. 

"  Dear  madam,"  she  says,  with  tears  in  her  beautiful 
eyes,  "  they  have  three  armies."  "  But  Stonewall  has 
routed  one  of  them  already.  Heath  another."  She  only 
answered  by  an  unbelieving  moan.  "  Nothing  seemed  to 
suit  her,"  I  said,  as  we  went  away.  "  You  did  not  cer 
tainly,  ' '  said  some  one  to  me ;  "  you  contradicted  every 
word  she  said,  with  a  sort  of  indignant  protest." 

We  met  Mrs.  Hampton  Gibbes  at  the  door — another 
Virginia  woman  as  good  as  gold.  They  told  us  Mrs.  Davis 
was  delightfully  situated  at  Raleigh ;  North  Carolinians  so 
loyal,  so  hospitable ;  she  had  not  been  allowed  to  eat  a  meal 
at  the  hotel.  "  How  different  from  Columbia,"  said  Doc 
tor  Gibbes,  looking  at  Mrs.  Gibson,  who  has  no  doubt  been 
left  to  take  all  of  her  meals  at  his  house.  ' '  Oh,  no !  "  cried 
Mary,  '  *  you  do  Columbia  injustice.  Mrs.  Chesnut  used  to 
tell  us  that  she  was  never  once  turned  over  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  Congaree  cuisine,  and  at  McMahan's  it  is 
fruit,  flowers,  invitations  to  dinner  every  day." 

After  we  came  away,  * '  Why  did  you  not  back  me  up  V  " 
I  was  asked.  * '  Why  did  you  let  them  slander  Columbia  ?  ' ' 

170 


SEVEN   PINES   OR   FAIR   OAKS 


"  It  was  awfully  awkward,"  I  said,  "  but  you  see  it  would 
have  been  worse  to  let  Doctor  Gibbes  and  Mrs.  Gibson  see 
how  different  it  was  with  other  people." 

Took  a  moonlight  walk  after  tea  at  the  Halcott  Greens'. 
All  the  company  did  honor  to  the  beautiful  night  by  walk 
ing  home  with  me. 

Uncle  Hamilton  Boykin  is  here,  staying  at  the  de 
Saussures'.  He  says,  "  Manassas  was  play  to  Williams- 
burg,"  and  he  was  at  both  battles.  He  lead  a  part  of 
Stuart's  cavalry  in  the  charge  at  Williamsburg,  riding  a 
hundred  yards  ahead  of  his  company. 

Toombs  is  ready  for  another  revolution,  and  curses 
freely  everything  Confederate  from  the  President  down  to 
a  horse  boy.  He  thinks  there  is  a  conspiracy  against  him 
in  the  army.  Why  ?  Heavens  and  earth — why  ? 

June  2d. — A  battle  1  is  said  to  be  raging  round  Rich 
mond.  I  am  at  the  Prestons'.  James  Chesnut  has  gone  to 
Richmond  suddenly  on  business  of  the  Military  Depart 
ment.  It  is  always  his  luck  to  arrive  in  the  nick  of  time 
and  be  present  at  a  great  battle. 

Wade  Hampton  shot  in  the  foot,  and  Johnston  Petti- 
grew  killed.  A  telegram  says  Lee  and  Davis  were  both  on 
the  field:  the  enemy  being  repulsed.  Telegraph  operator 
said:  "  Madam,  our  men  are  fighting."  "  Of  course  they 
are.  What  else  is  there  for  them  to  do  now  but  fight?  " 
"  But,  madam,  the  news  is  encouraging."  Each  army  is 
burying  its  dead :  that  looks  like  a  drawn  battle.  We  haunt 
the  bulletin-board. 

Back  to  McMahan  -s.  Mem  Cohen  is  ill.  Her  daughter, 
Isabel,  warns  me  not  to  mention  the  battle  raging  around 
Richmond.  Young  Cohen  is  in  it.  Mrs.  Preston,  anxious 


1  The  Battle  of  Fair  Oaks  or  Seven  Pines,  took  place  a  few  miles 
east  of  Richmond,  on  May  31  and  June  1,  1862,  the  Federals  being 
commanded  by  McClellan  and  the  Confederates  by  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston. 

13  171 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

and  unhappy  about  her  sons.  John  is  with  General  Huger 
at  Richmond;  Willie  in  the  swamps  on  the  coast  with  his 
company.  Mem  tells  me  her  cousin,  Edwin  de  Leon,  is  sent 
by  Mr.  Davis  on  a  mission  to  England. 

Rev.  Robert  Barnwell  has  returned  to  the  hospital.  Oh, 
that  we  had  given  our  thousand  dollars  to  the  hospital  and 
not  to  the  gunboat!  "  Stonewall  Jackson's  movements, " 
the  Herald  says,  "  do  us  no  harm ;  it  is  bringing  out  volun 
teers  in  great  numbers."  And  a  Philadelphia  paper  abused 
us  so  fervently  I  felt  all  the  blood  in  me  rush  to  my  head 
with  rage. 

June  3d. — Doctor  John  Cheves  is  making  infernal  ma 
chines  in  Charleston  to  blow  the  Yankees  up ;  pretty  name 
they  have,  those  machines.  My  horses,  the  overseer  says, 
are  too  poor  to  send  over.  There  was  corn  enough  on  the 
place  for  two  years,  they  said,  in  January;  now,  in  June, 
they  write  that  it  will  not  last  until  the  new  crop  comes  in. 
Somebody  is  having  a  good  time  on  the  plantation,  if  it  be 
not  my  poor  horses. 

Molly  will  tell  me  all  when  she  comes  back,  and  more. 
Mr.  Venable  has  been  made  an  aide  to  General  Robert  E. 
Lee.  He  is  at  Vicksburg,  and  writes,  "  When  the  fight  is 
over  here,  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  to  Virginia. "  He  is  in  cap 
ital  spirits.  I  notice  army  men  all  are  when  they  write. 

Apropos  of  calling  Major  Venable  "  Mr."  Let  it  be 
noted  that  in  social  intercourse  we  are  not  prone  to  give 
handles  to  the  names  of  those  we  know  well  and  of  our 
nearest  and  dearest.  A  general's  wife  thinks  it  bad  form 
to  call  her  husband  anything  but  "  Mr."  When  she  gives 
him  his  title,  she  simply  "  drops  "  into  it  by  accident.  If 
I  am  ' '  mixed  ' '  on  titles  in  this  diary,  let  no  one  blame  me. 

Telegrams  come  from  Richmond  ordering  troops  from 
Charleston.  Can  not  be  sent,  for  the  Yankees  are  attacking 
Charleston,  doubtless  with  the  purpose  to  prevent  Lee's  re 
ceiving  reenforcements  from  there. 

Sat  down  at  my  window  in  the  beautiful  moonlight,  and 

172 


A  FLOOD  OF  TEARS 


tried  hard  for  pleasant  thoughts.  A  man  began  to  play  on 
the  flute,  with  piano  accompaniment,  first,  "  Ever  of  thee 
I  am  fondly  dreaming, ' '  and  then,  1 1  The  long,  long,  weary 
day. ' '  At  first,  I  found  this  but  a  complement  to  the  beau 
tiful  scene,  and  it  was  soothing  to  my  wrought-up  nerves. 
But  Von  Weber's  "Last  Waltz"  was  too  much;  I  broke 
down.  Heavens,  what  a  bitter  cry  came  forth,  with  such 
floods  of  tears !  the  wonder  is  there  was  any  of  me  left. 

I  learn  that  Richmond  women  go  in  their  carriages  for 
the  wounded,  carry  them  home  and  nurse  them.  One  saw 
a  man  too  weak  to  hold  his  musket.  She  took  it  from  him, 
put  it  on  her  shoulder,  and  helped  the  poor  fellow  along. 

If  ever  there  was  a  man  who  could  control  every  expres 
sion  of  emotion,  who  could  play  stoic,  or  an  Indian  chief, 
it  is  James  Chesnut.  But  one  day  when  he  came  in  from 
the  Council  he  had  to  own  to  a  break-down.  He  was  awful 
ly  ashamed  of  his  weakness.  There  was  a  letter  from  Mrs. 
Gaillard  asking  him  to  help  her,  and  he  tried  to  read  it  to 
the  Council.  She  wanted  a  permit  to  go  on  to  her  son,  who 
lies  wounded  in  Virginia.  Colonel  Chesnut  could  not  con 
trol  his  voice.  There  was  not  a  dry  eye  there,  when  sud 
denly  one  man  called  out,  1 1  God  bless  the  woman. ' ' 

Johnston  Pettigrew  's  aide  says  he  left  his  chief  mortally 
wounded  on  the  battle-field.  Just  before  Johnston  Petti- 
grew  went  to  Italy  to  take  a  hand  in  the  war  there  for 
freedom,  I  met  him  one  day  at  Mrs.  Frank  Hampton's.  A 
number  of  people  were  present.  Some  one  spoke  of  the 

engagement  of  the  beautiful  Miss to  Hugh  Rose.  Some 

one  else  asked:  "  How  do  you  know  they  are  engaged?  " 
* '  Well,  I  never  heard  it,  but  I  saw  it.  In  London,  a  month 

or  so  ago,  I  entered  Mrs.  's  drawing-room,  and  I  saw 

these  two  young  people  seated  on  a  sofa  opposite  the  door. ' ' 
"  Well,  that  amounted  to  nothing."  "  No,  not  in  itself. 
But  they  looked  so  foolish  and  so  happy.  I  have  noticed 
newly  engaged  people  always  look  that  way."  And  so  on. 
Johnston  Pettigrew  was  white  and  red  in  quick  succession 

173 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

£ 

during  this  turn  of  the  conversation ;  he  was  in  a  rage  of 
indignation  and  disgust.  ' i  I  think  this  kind  of  talk  is  tak 
ing  a  liberty  with  the  young  lady's  name,"  he  exclaimed 
finally,  "  and  that  it  is  an  impertinence  in  us."  I  fancy 
him  left  dying  alone !  I  wonder  what  they  feel — those  who 
are  left  to  die  of  their  wounds — alone — on  the  battle-field. 

Free  schools  are  not  everything,  as  witness  this  spelling. 
Yankee  epistles  found  in  camp  show  how  illiterate  they  can 
be,  with  all  their  boasted  schools.  Fredericksburg  is  spelled 
"  Fredrexbirg, "  medicine,  "  metison,"  and  we  read,  "  To 
my  sweat  brother,"  etc.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life  no 
books  can  interest  me.  Life  is  so  real,  so  utterly  earnest, 
that  fiction  is  flat.  Nothing  but  what  is  going  on  in  this 
distracted  world  of  ours  can  arrest  my  attention  for  ten 
minutes  at  a  time. 

June  4th. — Battles  occur  near  Richmond,  with  bom 
bardment  of  Charleston.  Beauregard  is  said  to  be  fighting 
his  way  out  or  in. 

Mrs.  Gibson  is  here,  at  Doctor  Gibbes's.  Tears  are  al 
ways  in  her  eyes.  Her  eldest  son  is  Willie  Preston's  lieu 
tenant.  They  are  down  on  the  coast.  She  owns  that  she 
has  no  hope  at  all.  She  was  a  Miss  Ayer,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  says,  "  We  may  look  for  Burnside  now,  our  troops 
which  held  him  down  to  his  iron  flotilla  have  been  with 
drawn.  They  are  three  to  one  against  us  now,  and  they 
have  hardly  begun  to  put  out  their  strength — in  numbers, 
I  mean.  We  have  come  to  the  end  of  our  tether,  except  we 
wait  for  the  yearly  crop  of  boys  as  they  grow  up  to  the 
requisite  age."  She  would  make  despondent  the  most  san 
guine  person  alive.  "  As  a  general  rule,"  says  Mrs.  Gib 
son,  "  government  people  are  sanguine,  but  the  son  of  one 
high  functionary  whispered  to  Mary  G.,  as  he  handed  her 
into  the  car, '  Richmond  is  bound  to  go. ' '  The  idea  now  is 
that  we  are  to  be  starved  out.  If  they  shut  us  in,  prolong  the 
agony,  it  can  then  have  but  one  end. 

Mrs.  Preston  and  I  speak  in  whispers,  but  Mrs.  McCord 
174 


STONEWALL   JACKSON 


scorns  whispers,  and  speaks  out.  She  says :  '  *  There  are  our 
soldiers.  Since  the  world  began  there  never  were  better, 
but  God  does  not  deign  to  send  us  a  general  worthy  of 
them.  I  do  not  mean  drill-sergeants  or  military  old  maids, 
who  will  not  fight  until  everything  is  just  so.  The  real  am 
munition  of  our  war  is  faith  in  ourselves  and  enthusiasm  in 
our  cause.  West  Point  sits  down  on  enthusiasm,  laughs  it 
to  scorn.  It  wants  discipline.  And  now  comes  a  new  dan 
ger,  these  blockade-runners.  They  are  filling  their  pockets 
and  they  gibe  and  sneer  at  the  fools  who  fight.  Don't  you 
see  this  Stonewall,  how  he  fires  the  soldiers '  hearts  •  he  will 
be  our  leader,  maybe  after  all.  They  say  he  does  not  care 
how  many  are  killed.  His  business  is  to  save  the  country, 
not  the  army.  He  fights  to  win,  God  bless  him,  and  he  wins. 
If  they  do  not  want  to  be  killed,  they  can  stay  at  home. 
They  say  he  leaves  the  sick  and  wounded  to  be  cared  for  by 
those  whose  business  it  is  to  do  so.  His  business  is  war. 
They  say  he  wants  to  hoist  the  black  flag,  have  a  short, 
sharp,  decisive  war  and  end  it.  He  is  a  Christian  soldier." 

June  5th. — Beauregard  retreating  and  his  rear-guard 
cut  off.  If  Beauregard 's  veterans  will  not  stand,  why 
should  we  expect  our  newly  levied  reserves  to  do  it?  The 
Yankee  general  who  is  besieging  Savannah  announces  his 
orders  are  "  to  take  Savannah  in  two  weeks'  time,  and  then 
proceed  to  erase  Charleston  from  the  face  of  the  earth. ' ' 

Albert  Luryea  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  June  1st.  Last 
summer  when  a  bomb  fell  in  the  very  thick  of  his  company 
he  picked  it  up  and  threw  it  into  the  water.  Think  of  that, 
those  of  ye  who  love  life !  The  company  sent  the  bomb  to 
his  father.  Inscribed  on  it  were  the  words, ' '  Albert  Luryea, 
bravest  where  all  are  brave.'*  Isaac  Hayne  did  the  same 
thing  at  Fort  Moultrie.  This  race  has  brains  enough,  but 
they  are  not  active-minded  like  those  old  Revolutionary 
characters,  the  Middletons^  Lowndeses,  Rutledges,  Marions, 
Sumters.  They  have  come  direct  from  active-minded  fore 
fathers,  or  they  would  not  have  been  here;  but,  with  two 

175 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

or  three  generations  of  gentlemen  planters,  how  changed 
has  the  blood  become !  Of  late,  all  the  active-minded  men 
who  have  sprung  to  the  front  in  our  government  were  im 
mediate  descendants  of  Scotch,  or  Scotch-Irish — Calhoun, 
McDuffie,  Cheves,  and  Petigru,  who  Huguenotted  his  name, 
but  could  not  tie  up  his  Irish.  Our  planters  are  nice  fel 
lows,  but  slow  to  move ;  impulsive  but  hard  to  keep  moving. 
They  are  wonderful  for  a  spurt,  but  with  all  their  strength, 
they  like  to  rest. 

June  6th. — Paul  Hayne,  the  poet,  has  taken  rooms  here. 
My  husband  came  and  offered  to  buy  me  a  pair  of  horses. 
He  says  I  need  more  exercise  in  the  open  air.  * '  Come,  now, 
are  you  providing  me  with  the  means  of  a  rapid  retreat?  " 
said  I.  "I  am  pretty  badly  equipped  for  marching. " 

Mrs.  Rose  Greenhow  is  in  Richmond.  One-half  of  the 
ungrateful  Confederates  say  Seward  sent  her.  My  hus 
band  says  the  Confederacy  owes  her  a  debt  it  can  never  pay. 
She  warned  them  at  Manassas,  and  so  they  got  Joe  Johnston 
and  his  Paladins  to  appear  upon  the  stage  in  the  very  nick 
of  time.  In  Washington  they  said  Lord  Napier  left  her  a 
legacy  to  the  British  Legation,  which  accepted  the  gift,  un 
like  the  British  nation,  who  would  not  accept  Emma  Hamil 
ton  and  her  daughter,  Horatia,  though  they  were  willed  to 
the  nation  by  Lord  Nelson. 

Mem  Cohen,  fresh  from  the  hospital  where  she  went 
with  a  beautiful  Jewish  friend.  Rachel,  as  we  will  call  her 
(be  it  her  name  or  no) ,  was  put  to  feed  a  very  weak  patient. 
Mem  noticed  what  a  handsome  fellow  he  was  and  how  quiet 
and  clean.  She  fancied  by  those  tokens  that  he  was  a  gen 
tleman.  In  performance  of  her  duties,  the  lovely  young 
nurse  leaned  kindly  over  him  and  held  the  cup  to  his  lips. 
When  that  ceremony  was  over  and  she  had  wiped  his 
mouth,  to  her  horror  she  felt  a  pair  of  by  no  means  weak 
arms  around  her  neck  and  a  kiss  upon  her  lips,  which  she 
thought  strong,  indeed.  She  did  not  say  a  word ;  she  made 
no  complaint.  She  slipped  away  from  the  hospital,  and 

176 


HE   WAS   A   MAN   AFTER   ALL 

hereafter  in  her  hospital  work  will  minister  at  long  range, 
no  matter  how  weak  and  weary,  sick  and  sore,  the  patient 
may  be.  ' '  And, ' '  said  Mem,  * '  I  thought  he  was  a  gentle 
man."  "  Well,  a  gentleman  is  a  man,  after  all,  and  she 
ought  not  to  have  put  those  red  lips  of  hers  so  near. ' ' 
\/  June  7th. — Cheves  McCord's  battery  on  the  coast  has 
three  guns  and  one  hundred  men.  If  this  battery  should  be 
captured  John's  Island  and  James  Island  would  be  open 
to  the  enemy,  and  so  Charleston  exposed  utterly. 

Wade  Hampton  writes  to  his  wife  that  Chickahominy 
was  not  as  decided  a  victory  as  he  could  have  wished. 
Fort  Pillow  and  Memphis  *  have  been  given  up.  Next !  and 
next! 

June  9th. — When  we  read  of  the  battles  in  India,  in 
Italy,  in  the  Crimea,  what  did  we  care  ?  Only  an  interest 
ing  topic,  like  any  other,  to  look  for  in  the  paper.  Now 
you  hear  of  a  battle  with  a  thrill  and  a  shudder.  It  has 
come  home  to  us ;  half  the  people  that  we  know  in  the  world 
are  under  the  enemy 's  guns.  A  telegram  reaches  you,  and 
you  leave  it  on  your  lap.  You  are  pale  with  fright.  You 
handle  it,  or  you  dread  to  touch  it,  as  you  would  a  rattle 
snake;  worse,  worse,  a  snake  could  only  strike  you.  How 
many,  many  will  this  scrap  of  paper  tell  you  have  gone  to 
their  death? 

When  you  meet  people,  sad  and  sorrowful  is  the  greet 
ing  ;  they  press  your  hand ;  tears  stand  in  their  eyes  or  roll 
down  their  cheeks,  as  they  happen  to  possess  more  or  less 
self-control.  They  have  brother,  father,  or  sons  as  the 
case  may  be,  in  battle.  And  now  this  thing  seems  never  to 
stop.  We  have  no  breathing  time  given  us.  It  can  not  be 

1  Fort  Pillow  was  on  the  Mississippi  above  Memphis.  It  had  been 
erected  by  the  Confederates,  but  was  occupied  by  the  Federals  on  June 
5,  1862,  the  Confederates  having  evacuated  and  partially  destroyed 
it  the  day  before.  On  June  6,  1862,  the  Federal  fleet  defeated  the 
Confederates  near  Memphis.  The  city  soon  afterward  was  occupied 
by  the  Federals. 

177 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

• 

so  at  the  North,  for  the  papers  say  gentlemen  do  not  go  into 
the  ranks  there,  but  are  officers,  or  clerks  of  departments. 
Then  we  see  so  many  members  of  foreign  regiments  among 
our  prisoners — Germans,  Irish,  Scotch.  The  proportion  of 
trouble  is  awfully  against  us.  Every  company  on  the  field, 
rank  and  file,  is  filled  with  our  nearest  and  dearest,  who  are 
common  soldiers. 

Mem  Cohen's  story  to-day.  A  woman  she  knew  heard 
her  son  was  killed,  and  had  hardly  taken  in  the  horror  of  it 
when  they  came  to  say  it  was  all  a  mistake  in  the  name. 
She  fell  on  her  knees  with  a  shout  of  joy.  "  Praise  the 
Lord,  0  my  soul!  "  she  cried,  in  her  wild  delight.  The 
household  was  totally  upset,  the  swing-back  of  the  pendu 
lum  from  the  scene  of  weeping  and  wailing  of  a  few  mo 
ments  before  was  very  exciting.  In  the  midst  of  this  hub 
bub  the  hearse  drove  up  with  the  poor  boy  in  his  metallic 
coffin.  Does  anybody  wonder  so  many  women  die?  Grief 
and  constant  anxiety  kill  nearly  as  many  women  at  home 
as  men  are  killed  on  the  battle-field.  Mem 's  friend  is  at  the 
point  of  death  with  brain  fever;  the  sudden  changes  from 
grief  to  joy  and  joy  to  grief  were  more  than  she  could  bear. 

A  story  from  New  Orleans.  As  some  Yankees  passed 
two  boys  playing  in  the  street,  one  of  the  boys  threw  a  hand 
ful  of  burned  cotton  at  them,  saying,  "  I  keep  this  for  you/* 
The  other,  not  to  be  outdone,  spit  at  the  Yankees,  and  said, 
"  I  keep  this  for  you."  The  Yankees  marked  the  house. 
Afterward,  a  corporal's  guard  came.  Madam  was  affably 
conversing  with  a  friend,  and  in  vain,  the  friend,  who  was 
a  mere  morning  caller,  protested  he  was  not  the  master  of 
the  house ;  he  was  marched  off  to  prison. 

Mr.  Moise  got  his  money  out  of  New  Orleans.  He  went 
to  a  station  with  his  two  sons,  who  were  quite  small  boys. 
When  he  got  there,  the  carriage  that  he  expected  was  not  to 
be  seen.  He  had  brought  no  money  with  him,  knowing  he 
might  be  searched.  Some  friend  called  out,  "I  will  lend 
you  my  horse,  but  then  you  will  be  obliged  to  leave  the 

178 


CORINTH   EVACUATED 


children/'  This  offer  was  accepted,  and,  as  he  rode  off, 
one  of  the  boys  called  out,  "  Papa,  here  is  your  tobacco, 
which  you  have  forgotten. ' '  Mr.  Moise  turned  back  and  the 
boy  handed  up  a  roll  of  tobacco,  which  he  had  held  openly 
in  his  hand  all  the  time.  Mr.  Moise  took  it,  and  galloped 
off,  waving  his  hat  to  them.  In  that  roll  of  tobacco  was 
encased  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

Now,  the  Mississippi  is  virtually  open  to  the  Yankees. 
Beauregard  has  evacuated  Corinth.1 

Henry  Nott  was  killed  at  Shiloh ;  Mrs.  Auze  wrote  to  tell 
us.  She  had  no  hope.  To  be  conquered  and  ruined  had 
always  been  her  fate,  strive  as  she  might,  and  now  she  knew 
it  would  be  through  her  country  that  she  would  be  made 
to  feel.  She  had  had  more  than  most  women  to  endure, 
and  the  battle  of  life  she  had  tried  to  fight  with  courage, 
patience,  faith.  Long  years  ago,  when  she  was  young,  her 
lover  died.  Afterward,  she  married  another.  Then  her 
husband  died,  and  next  her  only  son.  When  New  Orleans 
fell,  her  only  daughter  was  there  and  Mrs.  Auze  went  to 
her.  Well  may  she  say  that  she  has  bravely  borne  her  bur 
den  till  now.2 

Stonewall  said,  in  his  quaint  way :  "  I  like  strong  drink, 
so  I  never  touch  it. ' '  May  heaven,  who  sent  him  to  help  us, 
save  him  from  all  harm! 

My  husband  traced  Stonewall 's  triumphal  career  on 
the  map.  He  has  defeated  Fremont  and  taken  all  his 
cannon;  now  he  is  after  Shields.  The  language  of 
the  telegram  is  vague :  ' '  Stonewall  has  taken  plenty  of 
prisoners  " — plenty,  no  doubt,  and  enough  and  to  spare. 
We  can't  feed  our  own  soldiers,  and  how  are  we  to  feed 
prisoners  ? 

They  denounce  Toombs  in  some  Georgia  paper,  which  I 

1  Corinth  was  besieged  by  the  Federals,  under  General  Halleck,  in 
May,  1862,  and  was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates  under  Beauregard 
on  May  29th. 

2  She  lost  her  life  in  the  Windsor  Hotel  fire  in  New  York. 

179 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

saw  to-day,  for  planting  a  full  crop  of  cotton.  They  say  he 
ought  to  plant  provisions  for  soldiers. 

And  now  every  man  in  Virginia,  and  the  eastern  part  of 
South  Carolina  is  in  revolt,  because  old  men  and  boys  are 
ordered  out  as  a  reserve  corps,  and  worst  of  all,  sacred 
property,  that  is,  negroes,  have  been  seized  and  sent  out  to 
work  on  the  fortifications  along  the  coast  line.  "We  are  in 
a  fine  condition  to  fortify  Columbia ! 

June  10th. — General  Gregg  writes  that  Chickahominy  * 
was  a  victory  manque,  because  Joe  Johnston  received  a  dis 
abling  wound  and  G.  W.  Smith  was  ill.  The  subordinates 
in  command  had  not  been  made  acquainted  with  the  plan 
of  battle. 

A  letter  from  John  Chesnut,  who  says  it  must  be  all  a 
mistake  about  Wade  Hampton's  wound,  for  he  saw  him  in 
the  field  to  the  very  last;  that  is,  until  late  that  night. 
Hampton  writes  to  Mary  McDuffie  that  the  ball  was  ex 
tracted  from  his  foot  on  the  field,  and  that  he  was  in  the 
saddle  all  day,  but  that,  when  he  tried  to  take  his  boot  off 
at  night  his  foot  was  so  inflamed  and  swollen,  the  boot  had 
to  be  cut  away,  and  the  wound  became  more  troublesome 
than  he  had  expected. 

Mrs.  Preston  sent  her  carriage  to  take  us  to  see  Mrs. 
Herbemont,  whom  Mary  Gibson  calls  her  "  Mrs.  Burga- 
mot."  Miss  Bay  came  down,  ever-blooming,  in  a  cap  so 
formidable,  I  could  but  laugh.  It  was  covered  with  a 
bristling  row  of  white  satin  spikes.  She  coyly  refused  to 
enter  Mrs.  Preston 's  carriage — * '  to  put  foot  into  it, ' '  to  use 
her  own  words ;  but  she  allowed  herself  to  be  overpersuaded. 

I  am  so  ill.  Mrs.  Ben  Taylor  said  to  Doctor  Trezevant, 
' '  Surely,  she  is  too  ill  to  be  going  about ;  she  ought  to  be  in 
bed. ' '  il  She  is  very  feeble,  very  nervous,  as  you  say,  but 
then  she  is  living  on  nervous  excitement.  If  you  shut  her 


1  This  must  be  a  reference  to  the  Battle  of  Seven  Pines  or  to  the 
Campaign  of  the  Chickahominy,  up  to  and  inclusive  of  that  battle. 

180 


WEST   POINT  TRAINING 


up  she  would  die  at  once. ' '  A  queer  weakness  of  the  heart, 
I  have.  Sometimes  it  beats  so  feebly  I  am  sure  it  has 
stopped  altogether.  Then  they  say  I  have  fainted,  but  I 
never  lose  consciousness. 

Mrs.  Preston  and  I  were  talking  of  negroes  and  cows. 
A  negro,  no  matter  how  sensible  he  is  on  any  other  subject, 
can  never  be  convinced  that  there  is  any  necessity  to  feed  a 
cow.  ' '  Turn  'em  out,  and  let  'em  grass.  Grass  good  nuff 
for  cow." 

Famous  news  comes  from  Richmond,  but  not  so  good 
from  the  coast.  Mrs.  Izard  said,  quoting  I  forget  whom: 
"  If  West  Point  could  give  brains  as  well  as  training!  " 
Smith  is  under  arrest  for  disobedience  of  orders — Pember- 
ton's  orders.  This  is  the  third  general  whom  Pemberton 
has  displaced  within  a  few  weeks — Ripley,  Mercer,  and  now 
Smith. 

When  I  told  my  husband  that  Molly  was  full  of  airs 
since  her  late  trip  home,  he  made  answer :  ' '  Tell  her  to  go 
to  the  devil — she  or  anybody  else  on  the  plantation  who  is 
dissatisfied;  let  them  go.  It  is  bother  enough  to  feed  and 
clothe  them  now."  When  he  went  over  to  the  plantation 
he  returned  charmed  with  their  loyalty  to  him,  their  affec 
tion  and  their  faithfulness. 

Sixteen  more  Yankee  regiments  have  landed  on  James 
Island.  Eason  writes,  "  They  have  twice  the  energy  and 
enterprise  of  our  people."  I  answered,  "  Wait  a  while. 
Let  them  alone  until  climate  and  mosquitoes  and  sand-flies 
and  dealing  with  negroes  takes  it  all  out  of  them. ' '  Stone 
wall  is  a  regular  brick,  going  all  the  time,  winning  his 
way  wherever  he  goes.  Governor  Pickens  called  to  see  me. 
His  wife  is  in  great  trouble,  anxiety,  uncertainty.  Her 
brother  and  her  brother-in-law  are  either  killed  or  taken 
prisoners. 

Tom  Taylor  says  Wade  Hampton  did  not  leave  the  field 
on  account  of  his  wound.  "  What  heroism!  "  said  some 
one.  No,  what  luck!  He  is  the  luckiest  man  alive.  He'll 

181 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  JS.     C.  July  21,  1862 

never  be  killed.  He  was  shot  in  the  temple,  but  that  did 
not  kill  him.  His  soldiers  believe  in  his  luck. 

General  Scott,  on  Southern  soldiers,  says,  we  have  elan, 
courage,  woodcraft,  consummate  horsemanship,  endurance 
of  pain  equal  to  the  Indians,  but  that  we  will  not  submit  to 
discipline.  "We  will  not  take  care  of  things,  or  husband  our 
resources.  Where  we  are  there  is  waste  and  destruction. 
If  it  could  all  be  done  by  one  wild,  desperate  dash,  we  would 
do  it.  But  he  does  not  think  we  can  stand  the  long,  blank 
months  between  the  acts — the  waiting!  We  can  bear  pain 
without  a  murmur,  but  we  will  not  submit  to  be  bored,  etc. 

Now,  for  the  other  side.  Men  of  the  North  can  wait; 
they  can  bear  discipline;  they  can  endure  forever.  Losses 
in  battle  are  nothing  to  them.  Their  resources  in  men  and 
materials  of  war  are  inexhaustible,  and  if  they  see  fit  they 
will  fight  to  the  bitter  end.  Here  is  a  nice  prospect  for  us — 
as  comfortable  as  the  old  man's  croak  at  Mulberry,  '*  Bad 
times,  worse  coming." 

Mrs.  McCord  says,  "  In  the  hospital  the  better  born, 
that  is,  those  born  in  the  purple,  the  gentry,  those  who  are 
accustomed  to  a  life  of  luxury,  are  the  better  patients. 
They  endure  in  silence.  They  are  hardier,  stronger, 
tougher,  less  liable  to  break  down  than  the  sons  of  the  soil." 
"  Why  is  that?  "  I  asked,  and  she  answered,  "  Something 
in  man  that  is  more  than  the  body." 

I  know  how  it  feels  to  die.  I  have  felt  it  again  and  again. 
For  instance,  some  one  calls  out,  ' '  Albert  Sidney  Johnston 
is  killed."  My  heart  stands  still.  I  feel  no  more.  I  am, 
for  so  many  seconds,  so  many  minutes,  I  know  not  how 
long,  utterly  without  sensation  of  any  kind — dead ;  and 
then,  there  is  that  great  throb,  that  keen  agony  of  physical 
pain,  and  the  works  are  wound  up  again.  The  ticking  of 
the  clock  begins,  and  I  take  up  the  burden  of  life  once 
more.  Some  day  it  will  stop  too  long,  or  my  feeble  heart 
will  be  too  worn  out  to  make  that  awakening  jar,  and 
all  will  be  over.  I  do  not  think  when  the  end  comes  that 

182 


BUTLER   IN   NEW   ORLEANS 


there  will  be  any  difference,  except  the  miracle  of  the  new 
wind-up  throb.  And  now  good  news  is  just  as  exciting  as 
bad.  * t  Hurrah,  Stonewall  has  saved  us !  ' !  The  pleasure 
is  almost  pain  because  of  my  way  of  feeling  it. 

Miriam's  Luryea  and  the  coincidences  of  his  life.  He 
was  born  Moses,  and  is  the  hero  of  the  bombshell.  His 
mother  was  at  a  hotel  in  Charleston  when  kind-hearted 
Anna  De  Leon  Moses  went  for  her  sister-in-law,  and  gave 
up  her  own  chamber,  that  the  child  might  be  born  in  the 
comfort  and  privacy  of  a  home.  Only  our  people  are 
given  to  such  excessive  hospitality.  So  little  Luryea  was 
born  in  Anna  De  Leon's  chamber.  After  Chickahominy 
when  he,  now  a  man,  lay  mortally  wounded,  Anna  Moses, 
who  was  living  in  Richmond,  found  him,  and  she  brought 
him  home,  though  her  house  was  crowded  to  the  door-steps. 
She  gave  up  her  chamber  to  him,  and  so,  as  he  had  been 
born  in  her  room,  in  her  room  he  died. 

June  12th. — New  England's  Butler,  best  known  to  us  as 
" Beast"  Butler,  is  famous  or  infamous  now.  His  amazing 
order  to  his  soldiers  at  New  Orleans  and  comments  on  it 
are  in  everybody's  mouth.  We  hardly  expected  from  Mas 
sachusetts  behavior  to  shame  a  Comanche. 

One  happy  moment  has  come  into  Mrs.  Preston's  life. 
I  watched  her  face  to-day  as  she  read  the  morning  papers. 
Willie 's  battery  is  lauded  to  the  skies.  Every  paper  gave 
him  a  paragraph  of  praise. 

South  Carolina  was  at  Beauregard's  feet  after  Fort 
Sumter.  Since  Shiloh,  she  has  gotten  up,  and  looks  askance 
rather  when  his  name  is  mentioned.  And  without  Price  or 
Beauregard  who  takes  charge  of  the  Western  forces? 
"  Can  we  hold  out  if  England  and  France  hold  off?  "  cries 
Mem.  ' '  No,  our  time  has  come. ' ' 

* '  For  shame,  faint  heart !  Our  people  are  brave,  our 
cause  is  just ;  our  spirit  and  our  patient  endurance  beyond 
reproach."  Here  came  in  Mary  Cantey's  voice:  "  I  may 
not  have  any  logic,  any  sense.  I  give  it  up.  My  woman's 

183 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  *1,  1862 

instinct  tells  me,  all  the  same,  that  slavery's  time  has  come. 
If  we  don't  end  it,  they  will." 

After  all  this,  tried  to  read  Uncle  Tom,  but  could  not ; 
too  sickening ;  think  of  a  man  sending  his  little  son  to  beat 
a  human  being  tied  to  a  tree.  It  is  as  bad  as  Squeers  beat 
ing  Smike.  Flesh  and  blood  revolt ;  you  must  skip  that ;  it 
is  too  bad. 

Mr.  Preston  told  a  story  of  Joe  Johnston  as  a  boy.  A 
party  of  boys  at  Abingdon  were  out  on  a  spree,  more  boys 
than  horses;  so  Joe  Johnston  rode  behind  John  Preston, 
who  is  his  cousin.  While  going  over  the  mountains  they 
tried  to  change  horses  and  got  behind  a  servant  who  was  in 
charge  of  them  all.  The  servant's  horse  kicked  up,  threw 
Joe  Johnston,  and  broke  his  leg;  a  bone  showed  itself. 
*  *  Hello,  boys !  come  here  and  look :  the  confounded  bone 
has  come  clear  through, ' '  called  out  Joe,  coolly. 

They  had  to  carry  him  on  their  shoulders,  relieving 
guard.  As  one  party  grew  tired,  another  took  him  up. 
They  knew  he  must  suffer  fearfully,  but  he  never  said  so. 
He  was  as  cool  and  quiet  after  his  hurt  as  before.  He  was 
pretty  roughly  handled,  but  they  could  not  help  it.  His 
father  was  in  a  towering  rage  because  his  son's  leg  was  to 
be  set  by  a  country  doctor,  and  it  might  be  crooked  in  the 
process.  At  Chickahominy,  brave  but  unlucky  Joe  had 
already  eleven  wounds. 

June  13th. — Decca's  wedding.  It  took  place  last  year. 
We  were  all  lying  on  the  bed  or  sofas  taking  it  coolly  as  to 
undress.  Mrs.  Singleton  had  the  floor.  They  were  engaged 
before  they  went  up  to  Charlottesville ;  Alexander  was  on 
Gregg's  staff,  and  Gregg  was  not  hard  on  him;  Decca  was 
the  worst  in  love  girl  she  ever  saw.  "  Letters  came  while 
we  were  at  the  hospital,  from  Alex,  urging  her  to  let  him 
marry  her  at  once.  In  war  times  human  events,  life  es 
pecially,  are  very  uncertain. 

* '  For  several  days  consecutively  she  cried  without  ceas 
ing,  and  then  she  consented.  The  rooms  at  the  hospital 

184 


DECCA'S   WEDDING 


were  all  crowded.  Decca  and  I  slept  together  in  the  same 
room.  It  was  arranged  by  letter  that  the  marriage  should 
take  place;  a  luncheon  at  her  grandfather  Minor's,  and 
then  she  was  to  depart  with  Alex  for  a  few  days  at  Rich 
mond.  That  was  to  be  their  brief  slice  of  honeymoon. 

"  The  day  came.  The  wedding-breakfast  was  ready,  so 
was  the  bride  in  all  her  bridal  array;  but  no  Alex,  no 
bridegroom.  Alas!  such  is  the  uncertainty  of  a  soldier's 
life.  The  bride  said  nothing,  but  she  wept  like  a  water- 
nymph.  At  dinner  she  plucked  up  heart,  and  at  my  ear 
nest  request  was  about  to  join  us.  And  then  the  cry,  '  The 
bridegroom  cometh.'  He  brought  his  best  man  and  other 
friends.  We  had  a  jolly  dinner.  *  Circumstances  over 
which  he  had  no  control  '  had  kept  him  away. 

"  His  father  sat  next  to  Decca  and  talked  to  her  all  the 
time  as  if  she  had  been  already  married.  It  was  a  piece  of 
absent-mindedness  on  his  part,  pure  and  simple,  but  it  was 
very  trying,  and  the  girl  had  had  much  to  stand  that  morn 
ing,  you  can  well  understand.  Immediately  after  dinner 
the  belated  bridegroom  proposed  a  walk;  so  they  went  for 
a  brief  stroll  up  the  mountain.  Decca,  upon  her  return, 
said  to  me :  '  Send  for  Robert  Barnwell.  I  mean  to  be 
married  to-day.' 

' '  '  Impossible.  No  spare  room  in  the  house.  No  getting 
away  from  here ;  the  trains  all  gone.  Don 't  you  know  this 
hospital  place  is  crammed  to  the  ceiling?  '  '  Alex  says  I 
promised  to  marry  him  to-day.  It  is  not  his  fault ;  he  could 
not  come  before.'  I  shook  my  head.  '  I  don't  care,'  said 
the  positive  little  thing,  *  I  promised  Alex  to  marry  him 
to-day  and  I  will.  Send  for  the  Rev.  Robert  Barnwell/ 
We  found  Robert  after  a  world  of  trouble,  and  the  bride, 
lovely  in  Swiss  muslin,  was  married. 

*  Then  I  proposed  they  should  take  another  walk,  and  I 
went  to  one  of  my  sister  nurses  and  begged  her  to  take  me 
in  for  the  night,  as  I  wished  to  resign  my  room  to  the  young 
couple.  At  daylight  next  day  they  took  the  train  for 

185 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

» 

Richmond."  Such  is  the  small  allowance  of  honeymoon 
permitted  in  war  time. 

Beauregard's  telegram:  he  can  not  leave  the  army  of 
the  West.  His  health  is  bad.  No  doubt  the  sea  breezes 
would  restore  him,  but — he  can  not  come  now.  Such  a 
lovely  name — Gustave  Tautant  Beauregard.  But  Jackson 
and  Johnston  and  Smith  and  Jones  will  do — and  Lee,  how 
short  and  sweet. 

' '  Every  day, ' '  says  Mem,  ' '  they  come  here  in  shoals — 
men  to  say  we  can  not  hold  Richmond,  and  we  can  not  hold 
Charleston  much  longer.  "Wretches,  beasts!  Why  do  you 
come  here?  Why  don't  you  stay  there  and  fight?  Don't 
you  see  that  you  own  yourselves  cowards  by  coming  away 
in  the  very  face  of  a  battle  ?  If  you  are  not  liars  as  to  the 
danger,  you  are  cowards  to  run  away  from  it. ' '  Thus  roars 
the  practical  Mem,  growing  more  furious  at  each  word. 
These  Jeremiahs  laugh.  They  think  she  means  others,  not 
the  present  company. 

Tom  Huger  resigned  his  place  in  the  United  States 
Navy  and  came  to  us.  The  Iroquois  was  his  ship  in  the  old 
navy.  They  say,  as  he  stood  in  the  rigging,  after  he  was 
shot  in  the  leg,  when  his  ship  was  leading  the  attack  upon 
the  Iroquois,  his  old  crew  in  the  Iroquois  cheered  him,  and 
when  his  body  was  borne  in,  the  Federals  took  off  their  caps 
in  respect  for  his  gallant  conduct.  When  he  was  dying, 
Meta  Huger  said  to  him :  * '  An  officer  wants  to  see  you :  he 
is  one  of  the  enemy."  "  Let  him  come  in;  I  have  no  ene 
mies  now."  But  when  he  heard  the  man's  name : 

11  No,  no.  I  do  not  want  to  see  a  Southern  man  who  is 
now  in  Lincoln's  navy."  The  officers  of  the  United  States 
Navy  attended  his  funeral. 

June  14th. — All  things  are  against  us.  Memphis  gone. 
Mississippi  fleet  annihilated,  and  we  hear  it  all  as  stolidly 
apathetic  as  if  it  were  a  story  of  the  English  war  against 
China  which  happened  a  year  or  so  ago. 

The  sons  of  Mrs.  John  Julius  Pringle  have  come.  They 

186 


NEWS   FROM   THE   FRONT 


were  left  at  school  in  the  North.  A  young  Huger  is  with 
them.  They  seem  to  have  had  adventures  enough.  Walked, 
waded,  rowed  in  boats,  if  boats  they  could  find ;  swam  riv 
ers  when  boats  there  were  none ;  brave  lads  are  they.  One 
can  but  admire  their  pluck  and  energy.  Mrs.  Fisher,  of 
Philadelphia,  nee  Middleton,  gave  them  money  to  make  the 
attempt  to  get  home., 

Stuart's  cavalry  have  rushed  through  McClellan's  lines 
and  burned  five  of  his  transports.  Jackson  has  been  reen- 
forced  by  16,000  men,  and  they  hope  the  enemy  will  be 
drawn  from  around  Richmond,  and  the  valley  be  the  seat 
of  war. 

John  Chesnut  is  in  "Whiting's  brigade,  which  has  been 
sent  to  Stonewall.  Mem's  son  is  with  the  Boykin  Rangers; 
Company  A,  No.  1,  we  call  it.  And  she  has  persistently 
wept  ever  since  she  heard  the  news.  It  is  no  child's  play, 
she  says,  when  you  are  with  Stonewall.  He  doesn't  play 
at  soldiering.  He  doesn  't  take  care  of  his  men  at  all.  He 
only  goes  to  kill  the  Yankees. 

Wade  Hampton  is  here,  shot  in  the  foot,  but  he  knows 
no  more  about  France  than  he  does  of  the  man  in  the  moon. 
Wet  blanket  he  is  just  now.  Johnston  badly  wounded. 
Lee  is  King  of  Spades.  They  are  all  once  more  digging  for 
dear  life.  Unless  we  can  reenforce  Stonewall,  the  game  is 
up.  Our  chiefs  contrive  to  dampen  and  destroy  the  enthu 
siasm  of  all  who  go  near  them.  So  much  entrenching  and 
falling  back  destroys  the  morale  of  any  army.  This  ever 
lasting  retreating,  it  kills  the  hearts  of  the  men.  Then  we 
are  scant  of  powder. 

James  Chesnut  is  awfully  proud  of  Le  Conte's  powder 
manufactory  here.  Le  Conte  knows  how  to  do  it.  James 
Chesnut  provides  him  the  means  to  carry  out  his  plans. 

Colonel  Venable  doesn't  mince  matters:  "  If  we  do  not 
deal  a  blow,  a  blow  that  will  be  felt,  it  will  be  soon  all  up 
with  us.    The  Southwest  will  be  lost  to  us.    We  can  not  af 
ford  to  shilly-shally  much  longer." 
14  187 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

Thousands  are  enlisting  on  the  other  side  in  New  Or 
leans.  Butler  holds  out  inducements.  To  be  sure,  they  are 
principally  foreigners  who  want  to  escape  starvation.  Ten 
nessee  we  may  count  on  as  gone,  since  we  abandoned  her  at 
Corinth,  Fort  Pillow,  and  Memphis.  A  man  must  be  sent 
there,  or  it  is  all  gone  now. 

'  You  call  a  spade  by  that  name,  it  seems,  and  not  an 
agricultural  implement?  "  "  They  call  Mars  Robert  '  Old 
Spade  Lee.'  He  keeps  them  digging  so."  "  General  Lee 
is  a  noble  Virginian.  Respect  something  in  this  world. 
Caesar — call  him  Old  Spade  Caesar?  As  a  soldier,  he  was 
as  much  above  suspicion,  as  he  required  his  wife  to  be,  as 
Caesar's  wife,  you  know.  If  I  remember  Caesar's  Commen 
taries,  he  owns  up  to  a  lot  of  entrenching.  You  let  Mars 
Robert  alone.  He  knows  what  he  is  about. ' ' 

"  Tell  us  of  the  women  folk  at  New  Orleans;  how  did 
they  take  the  fall  of  the  city?  "  "  They  are  an  excitable 
race,"  the  man  from  that  city  said.  As  my  inform 
ant  was  standing  on  the  levee  a  daintily  dressed  lady 
picked  her  way,  parasol  in  hand,  toward  him.  She 
accosted  him  with  great  politeness,  and  her  face  was 
as  placid  and  unmoved  as  in  antebellum  days.  Her 
first  question  was :  ' '  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me 
what  is  the  last  general  order  ?  ' '  "No  order  that  I  know 
of,  madam;  General  Disorder  prevails  now."  "  Ah!  I 
see ;  and  why  are  those  persons  flying  and  yelling  so  noisily 
and  racing  in  the  streets  in  that  unseemly  way  ?  "  "  They 
are  looking  for  a  shell  to  burst  over  their  heads  at  any  mo 
ment."  "  Ah!  "  Then,  with  a  courtesy  of  dignity  and 
grace,  she  waved  her  parasol  and  departed,  but  stopped  to 
arrange  that  parasol  at  a  proper  angle  to  protect  her  face 
from  the  sun.  There  was  no  vulgar  haste  in  her  move 
ments.  She  tripped  away  as  gracefully  as  she  came.  My 
informant  had  failed  to  discompose  her  by  his  fearful  reve 
lations.  That  was  the  one  self-possessed  soul  then  in  New 
Orleans. 

188 


THE    WOMEN    OF   NEW    ORLEANS 

Another  woman  drew  near,  so  overheated  and  out  of 
breath,  she  had  barely  time  to  say  she  had  run  miles 
of  squares  in  her  crazy  terror  and  bewilderment,  when  a 
sudden  shower  came  up.  In  a  second  she  was  cool  and  calm. 
She  forgot  all  the  questions  she  came  to  ask.  ' '  My  bonnet, 
I  must  save  it  at  any  sacrifice, ' '  she  said,  and  so  turned  her 
dress  over  her  head,  and  went  off,  forgetting  her  country's 
trouble  and  screaming  for  a  cab. 

Went  to  see  Mrs.  Burroughs  at  the  old  de  Saussure 
house.  She  has  such  a  sweet  face,  such  soft,  kind,  beauti 
ful,  dark-gray  eyes.  Such  eyes  are  a  poem.  No  wonder  she 
had  a  long  love-story.  We  sat  in  the  piazza  at  twelve 
o'clock  of  a  June  day,  the  glorious  Southern  sun  shining 
its  very  hottest.  But  we  were  in  a  dense  shade — magnolias 
in  full  bloom,  ivy,  vines  of  I  know  not  what,  and  roses  in 
profusion  closed  us  in.  It  was  a  living  wall  of  every 
thing  beautiful  and  sweet.  In  all  this  flower-garden  of 
a  Columbia,  that  is  the  most  delicious  corner  I  have  been 
in  yet. 

Got  from  the  Prestons'  French  library,  Fanny,  with  a 
brilliant  preface  by  Jules  Janier.  Now,  then,  I  have  come 
to  the  worst.  There  can  be  no  worse  book  than  Fanny. 
The  lover  is  jealous  of  the  husband.  The  woman  is  for  the 
polyandry  rule  of  life.  She  cheats  both  and  refuses  to 
break  with  either.  But  to  criticize  it  one  must  be  as  shame 
less  as  the  book  itself.  Of  course,  it  is  clever  to  the  last  de 
gree,  or  it  would  be  kicked  into  the  gutter.  It  is  not  nastier 
or  coarser  than  Mrs.  Stowe,  but  then  it  is  not  written  in 
the  interests  of  philanthropy. 

We  had  an  unexpected  dinner-party  to-day.  First, 
Wade  Hampton  came  and  his  wife.  Then  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rose.  I  remember  that  the  late  Colonel  Hampton  once 
said  to  me,  a  thing  I  thought  odd  at  the  time,  "  Mrs. 
'James  Rose  "  (and  I  forget  now  who  was  the  other)  "  are 
the  only  two  people  on  this  side  of  the  water  who  know  how 
to  give  a  state  dinner. ' '  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Rose :  if  any- 

189 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  .  S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

body  wishes  to  describe  old  Carolina  at  its  best,  let  them 
try  their  hands  at  painting  these  two  people. 

Wade  Hampton  still  limps  a  little,  but  he  is  rapidly 
recovering.  Here  is  what  he  said,  and  he  has  fought  so 
well  that  he  is  listened  to :  *  *  If  we  mean  to  play  at  war, 
as  we  play  a  game  of  chess,  West  Point  tactics  prevailing, 
we  are  sure  to  lose  the  game.  They  have  every  advantage. 
They  can  lose  pawns  ad  infinitum,  to  the  end  of  time  and 
never  feel  it.  We  will  be  throwing  away  all  that  we  had 
hoped  so  much  from — Southern  hot-headed  dash,  reckless 
gallantry,  spirit  of  adventure,  readiness  to  lead  forlorn 
hopes. ' ' 

Mrs.  Rose  is  Miss  Sarah  Parker's  aunt.  Somehow  it 
came  out  when  I  was  not  in  the  room,  but  those  girls  tell 
me  everything.  It  seems  Miss  Sarah  said :  '  *  The  reason  I 
can  not  bear  Mrs.  Chesnut  is  that  she  laughs  at  everything 
and  at  everybody. ' '  If  she  saw  me  now  she  would  give  me 
credit  for  some  pretty  hearty  crying  as  well  as  laughing. 
It  was  a  mortifying  thing  to  hear  about  one's  self,  all  the 
same. 

General  Preston  came  in  and  announced  that  Mr.  Ches 
nut  was  in  town.  He  had  just  seen  Mr.  Alfred  Huger,  who 
came  up  on  the  Charleston  train  with  him.  Then  Mrs.  Mc- 
Cord  came  and  offered  to  take  me  back  to  Mrs.  McMahan's 
to  look  him  up.  I  found  my  room  locked  up.  Lawrence 
said  his  master  had  gone  to  look  for  me  at  the  Prestons'. 

Mrs.  McCord  proposed  we  should  further  seek  for  my 
errant  husband.  At  the  door,  we  met  Governor  Pickens, 
who  showed  us  telegrams  from  the  President  of  the  most 
important  nature.  The  Governor  added,  "And  I  have  one 
from  Jeems  Chesnut,  but  I  hear  he  has  followed  it  so  close 
ly,  coming  on  its  heels,  as  it  were,  that  I  need  not  show  you 
that  one/' 

"  You  don't  look  interested  at  the  sound  of  your  hus 
band's  name?  "  said  he.  "  Is  that  his  name?  "  asked  I. 
"  I  supposed  it  was  James."  "  My  advice  to  you  is  to  find 

190 


SECESSIONVILLE 


him,  for  Mrs.  Pickens  says  he  was  last  seen  in  the  company 
of  two  very  handsome  women,  and  now  you  may  call  him 
any  name  you  please. ' ' 

We  soon  met.  The  two  beautiful  dames  Governor 
Pickens  threw  in  my  teeth  were  some  ladies  from  Rafton 
Creek,  almost  neighbors,  who  live  near  Camden. 

By  way  of  pleasant  remark  to  Wade  Hampton :  ' '  Oh, 
General!  The  next  battle  will  give  you  a  chance  to  be 
major-general."  "  I  was  very  foolish  to  give  up  my  Le 
gion,"  he  answered  gloomily.  "  Promotion  don't  really 
annoy  many  people. ' '  Mary  Gibson  says  her  father  writes 
to  them,  that  they  may  go  back.  He  thinks  now  that  the 
Confederates  can  hold  Richmond.  Gloria  in  excelsis! 

Another  personal  defeat.  Little  Kate  said:  "  Oh,  Cous 
in  Mary,  why  don 't  you  cultivate  heart  ?  They  say  at  Kirk- 
wood  that  you  had  better  let  your  brains  alone  a  while  and 
cultivate  heart."  She  had  evidently  caught  up  a  phrase 
and  repeated  it  again  and  again  for  my  benefit.  So  that  is 
the  way  they  talk  of  me !  The  only  good  of  loving  any  one 
with  your  whole  heart  is  to  give  that  person  the  power 
to  hurt  you. 

June  24th. — Mr.  Chesnut,  having  missed  the  Secession- 
ville  *  fight  by  half  a  day,  was  determined  to  see  the  one 
around  Richmond.  He  went  off  with  General  Cooper  and 
Wade  Hampton.  Blanton  Duncan  sent  them  for  a  lunch 
eon  on  board  the  cars, — ice,  wine,  and  every  manner  of  good 
thing. 

In  all  this  death  and  destruction,  the  women  are  the 
same — chatter,  patter,  clatter.  "  Oh,  the  Charleston  refu 
gees  are  so  full  of  airs;  there  is  no  sympathy  for  them 
here!"  "  Oh,  indeed!  That  is  queer.  They  are  not  half 
as  exclusive  as  these  Hamptons  and  Prestons.  The  airs 
these  people  do  give  themselves."  "  Airs,  airs,"  laughed 

1  The  battle  of  Secessionville  occurred  on  James  Island,  in  the 
harbor  of  Charleston,  June  16,  1862. 

191 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  .  S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

Mrs.  Bartow,  parodying  Tennyson's  Charge  of  the  Light 
Brigade.  "  Airs  to  the  right  of  them,  Airs  to  the  left  of 
them,  some  one  had  blundered."  "  Volleyed  and  thun 
dered  rhymes  but  is  out  of  place. ' ' 

The  worst  of  all  airs  came  from  a  democratic  landlady, 
who  was  asked  by  Mrs.  President  Davis  to  have  a  carpet 
shaken,  and  shook  herself  with  rage  as  she  answered,  * '  You 
know,  madam,  you  need  not  stay  here  if  my  carpet  or  any 
thing  else  does  not  suit  you. ' ' 

John  Chesnut  gives  us  a  spirited  account  of  their  ride 
around  McQlellan.  I  sent  the  letter  to  his  grandfather. 
The  women  ran  out  screaming  with  joyful  welcome  as  soon 
as  they  caught  sight  of  our  soldiers '  gray  uniforms ;  ran  to 
them  bringing  handfuls  and  armfuls  of  food.  One  gray- 
headed  man,  after  preparing  a  hasty  meal  for  them,  knelt 
and  prayed  as  the}^  snatched  it,  as  you  may  say.  They  were 
in  the  saddle  from  Friday  until  Sunday.  They  were  used 
up;  so  were  their  horses.  Johnny  writes  for  clothes  and 
more  horses.  Miss  S.  C.  says:  "  No  need  to  send  any  more 
of  his  fine*  horses  to  be  killed  or  captured  by  the  Yankees ; 
wait  and  see  how  the  siege  of  Richmond  ends. ' '  The  horses 
will  go  all  the  same,  as  Johnny  wants  them. 

June  25th. — I  forgot  to  tell  of  Mrs.  Pickens's  reception 
for  General  Hampton.  My  Mem  dear,  described  it  all. 
1 1  The  Governess  "  ( "  Tut,  Mem !  that  is  not  the  right  name 
for  her — she  is  not  a  teacher."  "  Never  mind,  it  is  the 
easier  to  say  than  the  Governor's  wife."  "  Madame  la 
Gouvernante  "  was  suggested.  *  *  Why  ?  That  is  worse  than 
the  other!  ")  "  met  him  at  the  door,  took  his  crutch  away, 
putting  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder  instead.  "  That  is  the 
way  to  greet  heroes, ' '  she  said.  Her  blue  eyes  were  aflame, 
and  in  response  poor  Wade  smiled,  and  smiled  until  his 
face  hardened  into  a  fixed  grin  of  embarrassment  and  an 
noyance.  He  is  a  simple-mannered  man,  you  know,  and 
does  not  want  to  be  made  much  of  by  women. 

The  butler  was  not  in  plain  clothes,  but  wore,  as  the 

192 


WADE    HAMPTON    HOME 


other  servants  did,  magnificent  livery  brought  from  the 
Court  of  St.  Petersburg,  one  mass  of  gold  embroidery,  etc. 
They  had  champagne  and  Russian  tea,  the  latter  from  a 
samovar  made  in  Russia.  Little  Moses  was  there.  Now 
for  us  they  have  never  put  their  servants  into  Russian 
livery,  nor  paraded  Little  Moses  under  our  noses,  but  I 
must  confess  the  Russian  tea  and  champagne  set  before  us 
left  nothing  to  be  desired.  "  How  did  General  Hampton 
bear  his  honors?  "  "  Well,  to  the  last  he  looked  as  if  he 
wished  they  would  let  him  alone. " 

Met  Mr.  Ashmore  fresh  from  Richmond.  He  says 
Stonewall  is  coming  up  behind  McClellan.  And  here  comes 
the  tug  of  war.  He  thinks  we  have  so  many  spies  in  Rich 
mond,  they  may  have  found  out  our  strategic  movements 
and  so  may  circumvent  them. 

Mrs.  Bartow's  story  of  a  clever  Miss  Toombs.  So  many 
men  were  in  love  with  her,  and  the  courtship,  while  it  lasted, 
of  each  one  was  as  exciting  and  bewildering  as  a  fox-chase. 
She  liked  the  fun  of  the  run,  but  she  wanted  something 
more  than  to  know  a  man  was  in  mad  pursuit  of  her;  that 
he  should  love  her,  she  agreed,  but  she  must  love  him,  too. 
How  was  she  to  tell?  Yet  she  must  be  certain  of  it  before 
she  said  "  Yes."  So,  as  they  sat  by  the  lamp  she  would 
look  at  him  and  inwardly  ask  herself,  "  Would  I  be  willing 
to  spend  the  long  winter  evenings  forever  after  sitting  here 
darning  your  old  stockings  ?  ' :  Never,  echo  answered.  No, 
no,  a  thousand  times  no.  So,  each  had  to  make  way  for 
another. 

June  27th. — We  went  in  a  body  (half  a  dozen  ladies, 
with  no  man  on  escort  duty,  for  they  are  all  in  the  army)  tou. 
a  concert.  Mrs.  Pickens  came  in.  She  was  joined  soon  by 
Secretary  Moses  and  Mr.  Follen.  Doctor  Berrien  came  to 
our  relief.  Nothing  could  be  more  execrable  than  the  sing 
ing.  Financially  the  thing  was  a  great  success,  for  though 
the  audience  was  altogether  feminine,  it  was  a  very  large 
one. 

193 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,.    S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

Telegram  from  Mr.  Chesnut,  ' '  Safe  in  Richmond  ' ' ; 
that  is,  if  Richmond  be  safe,  with  all  the  power  of  the 
United  States  of  America  battering  at  her  gates.  Strange 
not  a  word  from  Stonewall  Jackson,  after  all!  Doctor 
Gibson  telegraphs  his  wife,  '  *  Stay  where  you  are ;  terrible 
battle  *  looked  for  here. ' ' 

Decca  is  dead.  That  poor  little  darling !  Immediately 
after  her  baby  was  born,  she  took  it  into  her  head  that  Alex 
was  killed.  He  was  wrounded,  but  those  around  had  not 
told  her  of  it.  She  surprised  them  by  asking,  "  Does  any 
one  know  how  the  battle  has  gone  since  Alex  was  killed  ?  ' : 
She  could  not  read  for  a  day  or  so  before  she  died.  Her 
head  was  bewildered,  but  she  would  not  let  any  one  else 
touch  her  letters ;  so  she  died  with  several  unopened  ones  in 
her  bosom.  Mrs.  Singleton,  Decca 's  mother,  fainted  dead 
away,  but  she  shed  no  tears.  We  went  to  the  house  and  saw 
Alex's  mother,  a  daughter  of  Langdon  Cheves.  Annie  was 
with  us.  She  said :  ' '  This  is  the  saddest  thing  for  Alex. ' ' 
' '  No, ' '  said  his  mother,  * '  death  is  never  the  saddest  thing. 
If  he  were  not  a  good  man,  that  would  be  a  far  worse 
thing/7  Annie,  in  utter  amazement,  whimpered,  "  But 
Alex  is  so  good  already. "  ' '  Yes,  seven  years  ago  the  death 
of  one  of  his  sisters  that  he  dearly  loved  made  him  a  Chris 
tian.  That  death  in  our  family  was  worth  a  thousand 
lives." 

One  needs  a  hard  heart  now.  Even  old  Mr.  Shand  shed 
tears.  Mary  Barnwell  sat  as  still  as  a  statue,  as  white  and 
stony.  ' '  Grief  which  can  relieve  itself  by  tears  is  a  thing  to 
pray  for, ' '  said  the  Rev.  Mr.  Shand.  Then  came  a  telegram 
from  Hampton,  "  All  well;  so  far  we  are  successful." 
Robert  Barnwell  had  been  telegraphed  for.  His  answer 
came,  "  Can't  leave  here;  Gregg  is  fighting  across  the 


1  Malvern  Hill,  the  last  of  the  Seven  Days'  Battles,  was  fought  near 
Richmond  on  the  James  River,  July  1,  1862.  The  Federals  were  com 
manded  by  McClellan  and  the  Confederates  by  Lee. 

194 


DEATH    OF   DECCA 


Chickahominy. ' '  Said  Alex 's  mother :  ' '  My  son,  Alex,  may 
never  hear  this  sad  news,"  and  her  lip  settled  rigidly. 
"  Go  on ;  what  else  does  Hampton  say?  "  asked  she.  "  Lee 
has  one  wing  of  the  army,  Stonewall  the  other. ' ' 

Annie  Hampton  came  to  tell  us  the  latest  news — that 
we  have  abandoned  James  Island  and  are  fortifying 
Morris  Island.  ' '  And  now, ' '  she  says,  '  i  if  the  enemy  will 
be  so  kind  as  to  wait,  we  will  be  ready  for  them  in  two 
months. ' ' 

Rev.  Mr.  Shand  and  that  pious  Christian  woman,  Alex 's 
mother  (who  looks  into  your  very  soul  with  those  large 
and  lustrous  blue  eyes  of  hers)  agreed  that  the  Yankees, 
even  if  they  took  Charleston,  would  not  destroy  it.  I  think 
they  will,  sinner  that  I  am.  Mr.  Shand  remarked  to  her, 
"  Madam,  you  have  two  sons  in  the  army."  Alex's  mother 
replied,  "  I  have  had  six  sons  in  the  army;  I  now  have 
five." 

There  are  people  here  too  small  to  conceive  of  any 
larger  business  than  quarreling  in  the  newspapers.  One 
laughs  at  squibs  in  the  papers  now,  in  such  times  as  these, 
with  the  wolf  at  our  doors.  Men  safe  in  their  closets  writing 
fiery  articles,  denouncing  those  who  are  at  work,  are  be 
neath  contempt.  Only  critics  with  muskets  on  their  shoul 
ders  have  the  right  to  speak  now,  as  Trenholm  said  the  other 
night. 

In  a  pouring  rain  we  went  to  that  poor  child's  funeral 
— to  Decca's.  They  buried  her  in  the  little  white  frock 
she  wore  when  she  engaged  herself  to  Alex,  and  which 
she  again  put  on  for  her  bridal  about  a  year  ago.  She 
lies  now  in  the  churchyard,  in  sight  of  my  window.  Is 
she  to  be  pitied  ?  She  said  she  had  had  ' '  months  of  perfect 
happiness. ' '  How  many  people  can  say  that  ?  So  many  of 
us  live  their  long,  dreary  lives  and  then  happiness  never 
comes  to  meet  them  at  all.  It  seems  so  near,  and  yet  it 
eludes  them  forever. 

June  28th. — Victory!  Victory  heads  every  telegram 

195 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  .  S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

now  ;*  one  reads  it  on  the  bulletin-board.  It  is  the  anni 
versary  of  the  battle  of  Fort  Moultrie.  The  enemy  went  off 
so  quickly,  I  wonder  if  it  was  not  a  trap  laid  for  us,  to  lead 
us  away  from  Richmond,  to  some  place  where  they  can 
manage  to  do  us  more  harm.  And  now  comes  the  list  of 
killed  and  wounded.  Victory  does  not  seem  to  soothe  sore 
hearts.  Mrs.  Haskell  has  five  sons  before  the  enemy 's  illim 
itable  cannon.  Mrs.  Preston  two.  McClellan  is  routed  and 
we  have  twelve  thousand  prisoners.  Prisoners !  My  God ! 
and  what  are  we  to  do  with  them  "I  We  can 't  feed  our  own 
people. 

For  the  first  time  since  Joe  Johnston  was  wounded  at 
Seven  Pines,  we  may  breathe  freely ;  we  were  so  afraid  of 
another  general,  or  a  new  one.  Stonewall  can  not  be 
everywhere,  though  he  comes  near  it. 

Magruder  did  splendidly  at  Big  Bethel.  It  was  a  won 
derful  thing  how  he  played  his  ten  thousand  before  Mc 
Clellan  like  fireflies  and  utterly  deluded  him.  It  was  part 
ly  due  to  the  Manassas  scare  that  we  gave  them;  they  will 
never  be  foolhardy  again.  Now  we  are  throwing  up  our 
caps  for  R.  E.  Lee.  We  hope  from  the  Lees  what  the  first 
sprightly  running  (at  Manassas)  could  not  give.  We  do 
hope  there  will  be  no  '  *  if  s. "  "  If  s  "  have  ruined  us.  Shi- 
loh  was  a  victory  if  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  had  not  been 
killed ;  Seven  Pines  if  Joe  Johnston  had  not  been  wounded. 
The  "  ifs  "  bristle  like  porcupines.  That  victory  at  Manas 
sas  did  nothing  but  send  us  off  in  a  fool 's  paradise  of  con 
ceit,  and  it  roused  the  manhood  of  the  Northern  people. 
For  very  shame  they  had  to  move  up. 

A  French  man-of-war  lies  at  the  wharf  at  Charleston  to 
take  off  French  subjects  when  the  bombardment  begins. 
William  Mazyck  writes  that  the  enemy's  gunboats  are 

1  The  first  battle  of  the  Chickahominy,  fought  on  June  27,  1862. 
It  is  better  known  as  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill,  or  Cold  Harbor.  It 
was  participated  in  by  a  part  of  Lee's  army  and  a  part  of  McClellan's, 
and  its  scene  was  about  eight  miles  from  Richmond. 

196 


THE    SEVEN    DAYS1   FIGHTING 


shelling  and  burning  property  up  and  down  the  Santee 
River.  They  raise  the  white  flag  and  the  negroes  rush 
down  on  them.  Planters  might  as  well  have  let  these 
negroes  be  taken  by  the  Council  to  work  on  the  fortifica 
tions.  A  letter  from  my  husband : 

RICHMOND,  June  29,  1862. 
MY  DEAR  MARY  : 

For  the  last  three  days  I  have  been  a  witness  of  the 
most  stirring  events  of  modern  times.  On  my  arrival  here, 
I  found  the  government  so  absorbed  in  the  great  battle 
pending,  that  I  found  it  useless  to  talk  of  the  special  busi 
ness  that  brought  me  to  this  place.  As  soon  as  it  is  over, 
which  will  probably  be  to-morrow,  I  think  that  I  can  easily 
accomplish  all  that  I  was  sent  for.  I  have  no  doubt  that  we 
can  procure  another  general  and  more  forces,  etc. 

The  President  and  General  Lee  are  inclined  to  listen  to 
me,  and  to  do  all  they  can  for  us.  General  Lee  is  vindicat 
ing  the  high  opinion  I  have  ever  expressed  of  him,  and  his 
plans  and  executions  of  the  last  great  fight  will  place  him 
high  in  the  roll  of  really  great  commanders. 

The  fight  on  Friday  was  the  largest  and  fiercest  of  the 
whole  war.  Some  60,000  or  70,000,  with  great  prepon 
derance  on  the  side  of  the  enemy.  Ground,  numbers,  arma 
ment,  etc.,  were  all  in  favor  of  the  enemy.  But  our  men  and 
generals  were  superior.  The  higher  officers  and  men  be 
haved  with  a  resolution  and  dashing  heroism  that  have 
never  been  surpassed  in  any  country  or  in  any  age. 

Our  line  was  three  times  repulsed  by  superior  numbers 
and  superior  artillery  impregnably  posted.  Then  Lee,  as 
sembling  all  his  generals  to  the  front,  told  them  that  victory 
depended  on  carrying  the  batteries  and  defeating  the  army 
before  them,  ere  night  should  fall.  Should  night  come 
without  victory  all  was  lost,  and  the  work  must  be  done  by 
the  bayonet.  Our  men  then  made  a  rapid  and  irresistible 
charge,  without  powder,  and  carried  everything.  The  ene- 

197 


Feb.  20,  186?  COLUMBIA,   .S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

my  melted  before  them,  and  ran  with  the  utmost  speed, 
though  of  the  regulars  of  the  Federal  army.  The  fight  be 
tween  the  artillery  of  the  opposing  forces  was  terrific  and 
sublime.  The  field  became  one  dense  cloud  of  smoke,  so 
that  nothing  could  be  seen,  but  the  incessant  flash  of  fire. 
They  were  within  sixteen  hundred  yards  of  each  other  and 
it  rained  storms  of  grape  and  canister.  We  took  twenty- 
three  pieces  of  their  artillery,  many  small  arms,  and  small 
ammunition.  They  burned  most  of  their  stores,  wagons,  etc. 
The  victory  of  the  second  day  was  full  and  complete. 
Yesterday  there  was  little  or  no  fighting,  but  some  splendid 
maneuvering,  which  has  placed  us  completely  around  them. 
I  think  the  end  must  be  decisive  in  our  favor.  We  have 
lost  many  men  and  many  officers ;  I  hear  Alex  Haskell  and 
young  McMahan  are  among  them,  as  well  as  a  son  of  Dr. 
Trezevant.  Very  sad,  indeed.  We  are  fighting  again  to 
day  ;  will  let  you  know  the  result  as  soon  as  possible.  Will 
be  at  home  some  time  next  week.  No  letter  from  you  yet. 
With  devotion,  yours, 

JAMES  CHESNUT. 

A  telegram  from  my  husband  of  June  29th  from  Rich 
mond:  "  Was  on  the  field,  saw  it  all.  Things  satisfying 
so  far.  Can  hear  nothing'  of  John  Chesnut.  He  is  in 
Stuart's  command.  Saw  Jack  Preston;  safe  so  far.  No 
reason  why  we  should  not  bag  McClellan's  army  or  cut  it  to 
pieces.  From  four  to  six  thousand  prisoners  already." 
Doctor  Gibbes  rushed  in  like  a  whirlwind  to  say  we  were 
driving  McClellan  into  the  river. 

June  30th. — First  came  Dr.  Trezevant,  who  announced 
Burnet  Rhett's  death.  "  No,  no ;  I  have  just  seen  the  bulle 
tin-board.  It  was  Grimke  Rhett  's. ' '  When  the  doctor  went 
out  it  was  added :  ' '  Howell  Trezevant 's  death  is  there,  too. 
The  doctor  will  see  it  as  soon  as  he  goes  down  to  the  board. ' ' 
The  girls  went  to  see  Lucy  Trezevant.  The  doctor  was  lying 
still  as  death  on  a  sofa  with  his  face  covered. 

198 


NO   DECISIVE    BATTLE    YET 


July  1st. — No  more  news.  It  has  settled  down  into 
this.  The  general  battle,  the  decisive  battle,  has  to  be 
fought  yet.  Edward  Cheves,  only  son  of  John  Cheves, 
killed.  His  sister  kept  crying,  "  Oh,  mother,  what  shall 
we  do;  Edward  is  killed,"  but  the  mother  sat  dead  still, 
white  as  a  sheet,  never  uttering  a  word  or  shedding  a  tear. 
Are  our  women  losing  the  capacity  to  weepl  The  father 
came  to-daypMfT John  Cheves.  "He  Has  been  making  infer 
nal  machines  in  Charleston  to  blow  up  Yankee  ships. 

While  Mrs.  McCord  was  telling  me  of  this  terrible 
trouble  in  her  brother's  family,  some  one  said:  "  Decca's 
husband  died  of  grief."  Stuff  and  nonsense;  silly  senti 
ment,  folly!  If  he  is  not  wounded,  he  is  alive.  His 
brother,  John,  may  die  of  that  shattered  arm  in  this  hot 
weather.  Alex  will  never  die  of  a  broken  heart.  Take  my 
word  for  it. 

July  3d. — Mem  says  she  feels  like  sitting  down,  as  an 
Irishwoman  does  at  a  wake,  and  howling  night  and  day. 
Why  did  Huger  let  McClellan  slip  through  his  fingers? 
Arrived  at  Mrs.  McMahan's  at  the  wrong  moment.  Mrs. 
Bartow  was  reading  to  the  stricken  mother  an  account  of 
the  death  of  her  son.  The  letter  was  written  by  a  man  who 
was  standing  by  him  when  he  was  shot  through  the  head. 
"My  God!  "  he  said;  that  was  all,  and  he  fell  dead. 
James  Taylor  was  color-bearer.  He  was  shot  three  times 
before  he  gave  in.  Then  he  said,  as  he  handed  the  colors 
to  the  man  next  him,  "  You  see  I  can't  stand  it  any 
longer,"  and  dropped  stone  dead.  He  was  only  seven 
teen  years  old. 

If  anything  can  reconcile  me  to  the  idea  of  a  horrid  fail- , 
ure  after  all  efforts  to  make  good  our  independence  of  Yan-  \ 
kees,  it  is  Lincoln's  proclamation  freeing  the  negroes.  Es-J 
pecially  yours,  Messieurs,  who  write  insults  to  your  Gov 
ernor  and  Council,  dated  from  Clarendon.  Three  hundred 
of  Mr.  Walter  Blake's  negroes  have  gone  to  the  Yankees. 
Remember,  that  recalcitrant  patriot's  property  on  two  legs 

199 


Feb.  20,  1863  COLUMBIA,  .  S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

may  walk  off  without  an  order  from  the  Council  to  work  on 
fortifications. 

Have  been  reading  The  Potiphar  Papers  by  Curtis. 
Can  this  be  a  picture  of  New  York  socially  ?  If  it  were  not 
for  this  horrid  war,  how  nice  it  would  be  here.  We  might 
lead  such  a  pleasant  life.  This  is  the  most  perfectly  ap 
pointed  establishment — such  beautiful  grounds,  flowers, 
and  fruits ;  indeed,  all  that  heart  could  wish ;  such  delight 
ful  dinners,  such  pleasant  drives,  such  jolly  talks,  such 
charming  people;  but  this  horrid  war  poisons  everything. 

July  5th. — Drove  out  with  Mrs.  "  Constitution  " 
Browne,  who  told  us  the  story  of  Ben  McCulloch's  devotion 
to  Lucy  Gwynn.  Poor  Ben  McCulloch — another  dead  hero. 
Called  at  the  Tognos'  and  saw  no  one;  no  wonder.  They 
say  Ascelie  Togno  was  to  have  been  married  to  Grimke 
Ehett  in  August,  and  he  is  dead  on  the  battle-field.  I  had 
not  heard  of  the  engagement  before  I  went  there. 

July  8th. — Gunboat  captured  on  the  Santee.  So  much 
the  worse  for  us.  We  do  not  want  any  more  prisoners,  and 
next  time  they  will  send  a  fleet  of  boats,  if  one  will  not  do. 
The  Governor  sent  me  Mr.  Chesnut's  telegram  with  a  note 
saying,  "  I  regret  the  telegram  does  not  come  up  to  what 
we  had  hoped  might  be  as  to  the  entire  destruction  of  Mc- 
Clellan's  army.  I  think,  however,  the  strength  of  the  war 
with  its  ferocity  may  now  be  considered  as  broken." 

Table-talk  to-day:  This  war  was  undertaken  by  us  to 

shake  off  the  yoke  of  foreign  invaders.     So  we  consider  our 

cause  righteous.    The  Yankees,  since  the  war  has  begun, 

have  discovered  it  is  to  free  the  slaves  that  they  are  fighting. 

So  their  cause  is  noble.    They  also  expect  to  make  the  war 

pay.  Yankees  do  not  undertake  anything  that  does  not  pay. 

They  think  we  belong  to  them.     We  have  been  good  milk 

cows — milked  by  the  tariff,  or  skimmed.    We  let  them  have 

1  all  of  our  hard  earnings.     We  bear  the  ban  of  slavery; 

1  they  get  the  money.     Cotton  pays  everybody  who  handles 

1  it,  sells  it,  manufactures  it,  but  rarely  pays  the  man  who 

200 


McCLELLAN'S   ESCAPE 


grows  it.  Second  hand  the  Yankees  received  the  wages  o^ 
slavery.  They  grew  rich.  We  grew  poor.  The  receiver  isj 
as  bad  as  the  thief.  That  applies  to  us,  too,  for  we  received1 
the  savages  they  stole  from  Africa  and  brought  to  us  in; 
their  slave-ships.  As  with  the  Egyptians,  so  it  shall  bej 
with  us :  if  they  let  us  go,  it  must  be  across  a  Red  Sea — but 
one  made  red  by  blood. 

July  10th. — My  husband  has  come.  He  believes  from 
what  he  heard  in  Richmond  that  we  are  to  be  recognized  as 
a  nation  by  the  crowned  heads  across  the  water,  at  last.  Mr. 
Davis  was  very  kind;  he  asked  him  to  stay  at  his  house, 
which  he  did,  and  went  every  day  with  General  Lee  and  Mr. 
Davis  to  the  battle-field  as  a  sort  of  amateur  aide  to  the 
President.  Likewise  they  admitted  him  to  the  informal 
Cabinet  meetings  at  the  President's  house.  He  is  so  hopeful 
now  that  it  is  pleasant  to  hear  him,  and  I  had  not  the  heart 
to  stick  the  small  pins  of  Yeadon  and  Pickens  in  him  yet 
a  while. 

Public  opinion  is  hot  against  Huger  and  Magruder  for 
McClellan's  escape.  Doctor  Gibbes  gave  me  some  letters 
picked  up  on  the  battle-field.  One  signed  "  Laura,"  tells 
her  lover  to  fight  in  such  a  manner  that  no  Southerner  can 
ever  taunt  Yankees  again  with  cowardice.  She  speaks  of  a 
man  at  home  whom  she  knows,  "  who  is  still  talking  of  his 
intention  to  seek  the  bubble  reputation  at  the  cannon's 
mouth. "  * '  Miserable  coward !  "she  writes,  ' '  I  will  never 
speak  to  him  again. ' '  It  was  a  relief  to  find  one  silly  young 
person  filling  three  pages  with  a  description  of  her  new 
bonnet  and  the  bonnet  still  worn  by  her  rival.  Those  fiery 
Joan  of  Arc  damsels  who  goad  on  their  sweethearts  bode  us 
no  good. 

Rachel  Lyons  was  in  Richmond,  hand  in  glove  with  Mrs. 
Greenhow.  Why  not  ?  "So  handsome,  so  clever,  so  angel 
ically  kind,"  says  Rachel  of  the  Greenhow,  "  and  she  offers 
to  matronize  me." 

Mrs.  Philips,  another  beautiful  and  clever  Jewess,  has 

201 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  July  21,  1862 

been  put  into  prison  again  by  ' '  Beast  ' '  Butler  because  she 
happened  to  be  laughing  as  a  Yankee  funeral  procession 
went  by. 

Captain  B.  told  of  John  Chesnut's  pranks.  Johnny  was 
riding  a  powerful  horse,  captured  from  the  Yankees.  The 
horse  dashed  with  him  right  into  the  Yankee  ranks.  A 
dozen  Confederates  galloped  after  him,  shouting,  ' '  Stuart ! 
Stuart!  "  The  Yankees, 'mistaking  this  mad  charge  for 
Stuart's  cavalry,  broke  ranks  and  fled.  Daredevil  Camden 
boys  ride  like  Arabs ! 

Mr.  Chesnut  says  he  was  riding  with  the  President  when 
Colonel  Browne,  his  aide,  was  along.  The  General  com 
manding  rode  up  and,  bowing  politely,  said :  '  *  Mr.  Presi 
dent,  am  I  in  command  here?  "  "  Yes."  "  Then  I  for 
bid  you  to  stand  here  under  the  enemy's  guns.  Any  expo 
sure  of  a  life  like  yours  is  wrong,  and  this  is  useless 
exposure.  You  must  go  back."  Mr.  Davis  answered: 
"  Certainly,  I  will  set  an  example  of  obedience  to  orders. 
Discipline  must  be  maintained."  But  he  did  not  go  back. 

Mr.  Chesnut  met  the  Haynes,  who  had  gone  on  to  nurse 
their  wounded  son  and  found  him  dead.  They  were  stand 
ing  in  the  corridor  of  the  Spotswood.  Although  Mr.  Ches 
nut  was  staying  at  the  President's,  he  retained  his  room  at 
the  hotel.  So  he  gave  his  room  to  them.  Next  day,  when 
he  went  back  to  his  room  he  found  that  Mrs.  Hayne  had 
thrown  herself  across  the  foot  of  the  bed  and  never  moved. 
No  other  part  of  the  bed  had  been  touched.  She  got  up  and 
went  back  to  the  cars,  or  was  led  back.  He  says  these  heart 
broken  mothers  are  hard  to  face. 

July  12th. — At  McMahan's  our  small  colonel,  Paul 
Hayne 's  son,  came  into  my  room.  To  amuse  the  child  I 
gave  him  a  photograph  album  to  look  over.  '  You  have 
Lincoln  in  your  book !  ' '  said  he.  "I  am  astonished  at  you. 
I  hate  him!  "  And  he  placed  the  book  on  the  floor  and 
struck  Old  Abe  in  the  face  with  his  fist. 

An  Englishman  told  me  Lincoln  has  said  that  had  he 

202 


LINCOLN'S   REGRETS 


known  such  a  war  would  follow  his  election  he  never  would 
have  set  foot  in  Washington,  nor  have  been  inaugurated. 
He  had  never  dreamed  of  this  awful  fratricidal  bloodshed. 
That  does  not  seem  like  the  true  John  Brown  spirit.  I  was 
very  glad  to  hear  it — to  hear  something  from  the  President 
of  the  United  States  which  was  not  merely  a  vulgar  joke, 
and  usually  a  joke  so  vulgar  that  you  were  ashamed  to 
laugh,  funny  though  it  was.  They  say  Seward  has  gone  to 
England  and  his  wily  tongue  will  turn  all  hearts  against  us. 

Browne  told  us  there  was  a  son  of  the  Duke  of  Somer 
set  in  Richmond.  He  laughed  his  fill  at  our  ragged,  dirty 
soldiers,  but  he  stopped  his  laughing  when  he  saw  them  un 
der  fire.  Our  men  strip  the  Yankee  dead  of  their  shoes, 
but  will  not  touch  the  shoes  of  a  comrade.  Poor  fellows, 
they  are  nearly  barefoot. 

Alex  has  come.  I  saw  him  ride  up  about  dusk  and  go 
into  the  graveyard.  I  shut  up  my  windows  on  that  side. 
Poor  fellow! 

July  13th. — Halcott  Green  came  to  see  us.  Bragg  is  a 
stern  disciplinarian,  according  to  Halcott.  He  did  not  in 
the  least  understand  citizen  soldiers.  In  the  retreat  from 
Shiloh  he  ordered  that  not  a  gun  should  be  fired.  A  soldier 
shot  a  chicken,  and  then  the  soldier  was  shot.  "  For  a 
chicken !  ' '  said  Halcott.  ' '  A  Confederate  soldier  for  a 
chicken!  " 

Mrs.  McCord  says  a  nurse,  who  is  also  a  beauty,  had 
better  leave  her  beauty  with  her  cloak  and  hat  at  the  door. 
One  lovely  lady  nurse  said  to  a  rough  old  soldier,  whose 
wound  could  not  have  been  dangerous,  "  Well,  my  good 
soul,  what  can  I  do  for  you?  "  "  Kiss  me !  "  said  he.  Mrs. 
McCord 's  fury  was  "  at  the  woman's  telling  it,"  for  it 
brought  her  hospital  into  disrepute,  and  very  properly. 
She  knew  there  were  women  who  would  boast  of  an  insult 
if  it  ministered  to  their  vanity.  She  wanted  nurses  to  come 
dressed  as  nurses,  as  Sisters  of  Charity,  and  not  as  fine  la 
dies.  Then  there  would  be  no  trouble.  When  she  saw  them 
15  203 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,  *  S.     C.  July  21,  1863 

coming  in  angel  sleeves,  displaying  all  their  white  arms  and 
in  their  muslin,  showing  all  their  beautiful  white  shoulders 
and  throats,  she  felt  disposed  to  order  them  off  the  premises. 
That  was  no  proper  costume  for  a  nurse.  Mrs.  Bartow  goes 
in  her  widow's  weeds,  which  is  after  Mrs.  McCord's  own 
heart.  But  Mrs.  Bartow  has  her  stories,  too.  A  surgeon 
said  to  her,  ' '  I  give  you  no  detailed  instructions :  a  mother 
necessarily  is  a  nurse."  She  then  passed  on  quietly,  "  as 
smilingly  acquiescent,  my  dear,  as  if  I  had  ever  been  a 
mother. ' ' 

Mrs.  Greenhow  has  enlightened  Rachel  Lyons  as  to  Mr. 
Chesnut's  character  in  Washington.  He  was  "  one  of  the 
very  few  men  of  whom  there  was  not  a  word  of  scandal 
spoken.  I  do  not  believe,  my  dear,  that  he  ever  spoke  to  a 
woman  there."  He  did  know  Mrs.  John  R.  Thompson, 
however. 

Walked  up  and  down  the  college  campus  with  Mrs.  Mc- 
Cord.  The  buildings  all  lit  up  with  gas,  the  soldiers  seated 
under  the  elms  in  every  direction,  and  in  every  stage  of 
convalescence.  Through  the  open  windows,  could  see  the 
nurses  flitting  about.  It  was  a  strange,  weird  scene.  Walked 
home  with  Mrs.  Bartow.  We  stopped  at  Judge  Carroll's. 
Mrs.  Carroll  gave  us  a  cup  of  tea.  When  we  got  home, 
found  the  Prestons  had  called  for  me  to  dine  at  their  house 
to  meet  General  Magruder. 

Last  night  the  Edgefield  Band  serenaded  Governor 
Pickens.  Mrs.  Harris  stepped  on  the  porch  and  sang  the 
Marseillaise  for  them.  It  has  been  more  than  twenty  years 
since  I  first  heard  her  voice ;  it  was  a  very  fine  one  then,  but 
there  is  nothing  which  the  tooth  of  time  lacerates  more 
cruelly  than  the  singing  voice  of  women.  There  is  an  incon 
gruous  metaphor  for  you. 

The  negroes  on  the  coast  received  the  Rutledge  's  Mount 
ed  Rifles  apparently  with  great  rejoicings.  The  troops  were 
gratified  to  find  the  negroes  in  such  a  friendly  state  of  mind. 
One  servant  whispered  to  his  master,  "  Don't  you  mind 

204 


THE    WAYSIDE    HOSPITAL 


'em,  don 't  trust  'em  ' '  —meaning  the  negroes.  The  master 
then  dressed  himself  as  a  Federal  officer  and  went  down  to 
a  negro  quarter.  The  very  first  greeting  was,  * '  Ki !  massa, 
you  come  fuh  ketch  rebels?  We  kin  show  you  way  you 
kin  ketch  thirty  to-night. ' '  They  took  him  to  the  Confed 
erate  camp,  or  pointed  it  out,  and  then  added  for  his  edifi 
cation,  "  We  kin  ketch  officer  fuh  you  whenever  you  want 
'em." 

Bad  news.  Gunboats  have  passed  Vicksburg.  The 
Yankees  are  spreading  themselves  over  our  fair  Southern 
land  like  red  ants. 

July  21st. — Jackson  has  gone  into  the  enemy's  country. 
'Joe  Johnston  and  Wade  Hampton  are  to  follow. 

Think  of  Rice,  Mr.  Senator  Rice,1  who  sent  us  the  buf 
falo-robes.  I  see  from  his  place  in  the  Senate  that  he 
speaks  of  us  as  savages,  who  put  powder  and  whisky  into 
soldiers'  canteens  to  make  them  mad  with  ferocity  in  the 
fight.  No,  never.  We  admire  coolness  here,  because  we 
lack  it;  we  do  not  need  to  be  fired  by  drink  to  be  brave. 
My  classical  lore  is  small,  indeed,  but  I  faintly  remember 
something  of  the  Spartans  who  marched  to  the  music  of 
lutes.  No  drum  and  fife  were  needed  to  revive  their  faint 
ing  spirits.  In  that  one  thing  we  are  Spartans. 

The  Wayside  Hospital 2  is  duly  established  at  the  Co- 


1  Henry  M.  Rice,  United  States  Senator  from  Minnesota,  who  had 
emigrated  to  that  State  from  Vermont  in  1835. 

2  Of  ameliorations  in  modern  warfare,  Dr.  John  T.  Darby  said  in 
addressing   the   South  Carolina   Medical   Association,   Charleston,   in 
1873:     "On  the  route  from  the  army  to  the  general  hospital,  wounds 
are  dressed  and  soldiers  refreshed  at  wayside  homes;   and  here  be  it 
said  with  justice  and  pride  that  the  credit  of  originating  this  system 
is  due  to  the  women  of  South  Carolina.     In  a  small  room  in  the  capital 
of  this  State,  the  first  Wayside  Home  was  founded;    and  during  the 
war,  some  seventy-five  thousand  soldiers  were  relieved  by  having  their 
wounds  dressed,  their  ailments  attended,  and  very  frequently  by  being 
clothed  through  the  patriotic  services  and  good  offices  of  a  few  untiring 

205 


Feb.  20,  1869  COLUMBIA,     &     C.  July  21,  1862 

lumbia  Station,  where  all  the  railroads  meet.  All  honor  to 
Mrs.  Fisher  and  the  other  women  who  work  there  so  faith 
fully  !  The  young  girls  of  Columbia  started  this  hospital. 
In  the  first  winter  of  the  war,  moneyless  soldiers,  sick  and 
wounded,  suffered  greatly  when  they  had  to  lie  over  here 
because  of  faulty  connections  between  trains.  Rev.  Mr. 
Martin,  whose  habit  it  was  to  meet  trains  and  offer  his  aid 
to  these  unfortunates,  suggested  to  the  Young  Ladies'  Hos 
pital  Association  their  opportunity ;  straightway  the  blessed 
maidens  provided  a  room  where  our  poor  fellows  might 
have  their  wounds  bound  up  and  be  refreshed.  And  now, 
the  "  Soldiers '  Rest  "  has  grown  into  the  Wayside  Hospi 
tal,  and  older  heads  and  hands  relieve  younger  ones  of  the 
grimmer  work  and  graver  responsibilities.  I  am  ready  to 
help  in  every  way,  by  subscription  and  otherwise,  but  too 
feeble  in  health  to  go  there  much. 

Mrs.  Browne  heard  a  man  say  at  the  Congaree  House, 

*' '  We  are  breaking  our  heads  against  a  stone  wall.    We  are 

jbound  to  be  conquered.    We  can  not  keep  it  up  much  longer 

jagainst  so  powerful  a  nation  as  the  United  States.    Crowds 

.of  Irish,  Dutch,  and  Scotch  are  pouring  in  to  swell  their 

armies.     They  are  promised  our  lands,  and  they  believe 

they  will  get  them.    Even  if  we  are  successful  we  can  not 

live  without  Yankees."     "  Now,"  says  Mrs.  Browne,  "  I 

jcall  that  man  a  Yankee  spy."     To  which  I  reply,  "  If  he 

I  were  a  spy,  he  would  not  dare  show  his  hand  so  plainly." 

"  To  think,"  says  Mrs.  Browne,  "  that  he  is  not  taken 
up.  Seward's  little  bell  would  tinkle,  a  guard  would  come, 
and  the  Grand  Inquisition  of  America  would  order  that 
man  put  under  arrest  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  if  he  had 
ventured  to  speak  against  Yankees  in  Yankee  land." 

General  Preston  said  he  had  "  the  right  to  take  up  any 


ladies  in  Columbia.  From  this  little  nucleus,  spread  that  grand  system 
of  wayside  hospitals  which  was  established  during  our  own  and  the 
late  European  wars." 

206 


THE    PRINCE    OF   WALES 


one  who  was  not  in  his  right  place  and  send  him  where  he 
belonged/*  "  Then  do  take  up  my  husband  instantly.  He 
is  sadly  out  of  his  right  place  in  this  little  Governor's  Coun 
cil."  The  general  stared  at  me  and  slowly  uttered  in  his 
most  tragic  tones,  "  If  I  could  put  him  where  I  think  he 
ought  to  be !  "'  This  I  immediately  hailed  as  a  high  compli 
ment  and  was  duly  ready  with  my  thanks.  Upon  reflection, 
it  is  borne  in  upon  me,  that  he  might  have  been  more  ex 
plicit.  He  left  too  much  to  the  imagination. 

Then  Mrs.  Browne  described  the  Prince  of  Wales,  whose 
manners,  it  seems,  differ  from  those  of  Mrs. ,  who  ar 
raigned  us  from  morn  to  dewy  eve,  and  upbraided  us  with 
our  ill-bred  manners  and  customs.  The  Prince,  when  he 
was  here,  conformed  at  once  to  whatever  he  saw  was  the 
way  of  those  who  entertained  him.  He  closely  imitated 
President  Buchanan's  way  of  doing  things.  He  took  off 
his  gloves  at  once  when  he  saw  that  the  President  wore 
none.  He  began  by  bowing  to  the  people  who  were  pre 
sented  to  him,  but  when  he  saw  Mr.  Buchanan  shaking 
hands,  he  shook  hands,  too.  When  smoking  affably  with 
Browne  on  the  White  House  piazza,  he  expressed  his  con 
tent  with  the  fine  cigars  Browne  had  given  him.  The  Presi 
dent  said :  ' '  I  was  keeping  some  excellent  ones  for  you,  but 
Browne  has  got  ahead  of  me."  Long  after  Mr.  Buchanan 
had  gone  to  bed,  the  Prince  ran  into  his  room  in  a  jolly, 
boyish  way,  and  said :  ' '  Mr.  Buchanan,  I  have  come  for  the 
fine  cigars  you  have  for  me. ' ' 

As  I  walked  up  to  the  Prestons',  along  a  beautiful 
shaded  back  street,  a  carriage  passed  with  Governor  Means 
in  it.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me  he  threw  himself  half  out  and 
kissed  both  hands  to  me  again  and  again.  It  was  a  whole- 
souled  greeting,  as  the  saying  is,  and  I  returned  it  with  my 
whole  heart,  too.  "  Good-by,"  he  cried,  and  I  responded 
''  Good-by."  I  may  never  see  him  again.  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  did  not  shed  a  few  tears. 

General  Preston  and  Mr.  Chesnut  were  seated  on  the 

207 


Feb.  20,  1862  COLUMBIA,     §.     C.  July  21,  1862 

piazza  of  the  Hampton  house  as  I  walked  in.  I  opened  my 
batteries  upon  them  in  this  scornful  style :  *  *  You  cold,  for 
mal,  solemn,  overly-polite  creatures,  weighed  down  by  your 
own  dignity.  You  will  never  know  the  rapture  of  such  a 
sad  farewell  as  John  Means  and  I  have  just  interchanged. 
He  was  in  a  hack, ' '  I  proceeded  to  relate, ' '  and  I  was  on  the 
sidewalk.  He  was  on  his  way  to  the  Avar,  poor  fellow.  The 
hackman  drove  steadily  along  in  the  middle  of  the  street; 
but  for  our  gray  hairs  I  do  not  know  what  he  might  have 
thought  of  us.  John  Means  did  not  suppress  his  feelings 
at  an  unexpected  meeting  with  an  old  friend,  and  a  good 
cry  did  me  good.  It  is  a  life  of  terror  and  foreboding  we 
lead.  My  heart  is  in  my  mouth  half  the  time.  But  you 
two,  under  no  possible  circumstances  could  you  forget  your 
manners." 

Read  Russell's  India  all  day.  Saintly  folks  those  Eng 
lish  when  their  blood  is  up.  Sepoys  and  blacks  we  do  not 
expect  anything  better  from,  but  what  an  example  of  Chris 
tian  patience  and  humanity  the  white  "  angels  "  from  the 
West  set  them. 

The  beautiful  Jewess,  Rachel  Lyons,  was  here  to-day. 
She  flattered  Paul  Hayne  audaciously,  and  he  threw  back 
the  ball. 

To-day  I  saw  the  Rowena  to  this  Rebecca,  when  Mrs. 
Edward  Barnwell  called.  She  is  the  purest  type  of  Anglo- 
Saxon — exquisitely  beautiful,  cold,  quiet,  calm,  lady-like, 
fair  as  a  lily,  with  the  blackest  and  longest  eyelashes,  and 
her  eyes  so  light  in  color  some  one  said  "  they  were  the 
hue  of  cologne  and  water."  At  any  rate,  she  has  a  patent 
right  to  them;  there  are  no  more  like  them  to  be  had.  The 
effect  is  startling,  but  lovely  beyond  words. 

Blanton  Duncan  told  us  a  story  of  Morgan  in  Kentucky. 
Morgan  walked  into  a  court  where  they  were  trying  some 
Secessionists.  The  Judge  was  about  to  pronounce  sentence, 
but  Morgan  rose,  and  begged  that  he  might  be  allowed  to 
call  some  witnesses.  The  Judge  asked  who  were  his  wit- 

208 


SANDHILLERS 


nesses.    "  My  name  is  John  Morgan,  and  my  witnesses  are 
1,400  Confederate  soldiers.7' 

Mrs.  Izard  witnessed  two  instances  of  patriotism  in  the 
caste  called  "  Sandhill  tackeys."  One  forlorn,  chill,  and 
fever-freckled  creature,  yellow,  dirty,  and  dry  as  a  nut, 
was  selling  peaches  at  ten  cents  a  dozen.  Soldiers  collected 
around  her  cart.  She  took  the  cover  off  and  cried,  "  Eat 
away.  Eat  your  fill.  I  never  charge  our  soldiers  any 
thing."  They  tried  to  make  her  take  pay,  but  when  she 
steadily  refused  it,  they  cheered  her  madly  and  said: 
"  Sleep  in  peace.  Now  we  will  fight  for  you  and  keep  ofl5 
the  Yankees. ' '  Another  poor  Sandhill  man  refused  to  sell 
his  cows,  and  gave  them  to  the  hospital. 


200 


XII 

FLAT   ROCK,   N.   C. 
August  I,  1862— August  8,  1862 

LAT  ROCK,  N.  C.,  August  1,  1862.— Being  ill  I  left 
Mrs.  McMahan's  for  Flat  Rock.1  It  was  very  hot 
and  disagreeable  for  an  invalid  in  a  boarding-house 
in  that  climate.  The  La  Bordes  and  the  McCord  girls  came 
part  of  the  way  with  me. 

The  cars  were  crowded  and  a  lame  soldier  had  to  stand, 
leaning  on  his  crutches  in  the  thoroughfare  that  runs  be 
tween  the  seats.  One  of  us  gave  him  our  seat.  You  may 
depend  upon  it  there  was  no  trouble  in  finding  a  seat  for 
our  party  after  that.  Dr.  La  Borde  quoted  a  classic  anec 
dote.  In  some  Greek  assembly  an  old  man  was  left  stand 
ing.  A  Spartan  gave  him  his  seat.  The  Athenians  cheered 
madly,  though  they  had  kept  their  seats.  The  comment  was, 
'  Lacedemonians  practise  virtue;  Athenians  know  how  to 
admire  it." 

Nathan  Davis  happened  accidentally  to  be  at  the  sta 
tion  at  Greenville.  He  took  immediate  charge  of  Molly  and 
myself,  for  my  party  had  dwindled  to  us  two.  He  went 
with  us  to  the  hotel,  sent  for  the  landlord,  told  him  who  I 
was,  secured  good  rooms  for  us,  and  saw  that  we  were  made 


1  Flat  Rock  was  the  summer  resort  of  many  cultured  families  from 
the  low  countries  of  the  South  before  the  war.  Many  attractive  houses 
had  been  built  there.  It  lies  in  the  region  which  has  since  become  fa 
mous  as  the  Asheville  region,  and  in  which  stands  Biltmore. 

210 


COLONEL   AND   MRS.    IVES 


comfortable  in  every  way.  At  dinner  I  entered  that  im 
mense  dining-room  alone,  but  I  saw  friends  and  acquaint 
ances  on  every  side.  My  first  exploit  was  to  repeat  to  Mrs. 
Ives  Mrs.  Pickeus's  blunder  in  taking  a  suspicious  attitude 
toward  men  born  at  the  North,  and  calling  upon  General 
Cooper  to  agree  with  her.  Martha  Levy  explained  the 
grave  faces  of  my  auditors  by  saying  that  Colonel  Ives  was 
a  New  Yorker.  My  distress  was  dire. 

Louisa  Hamilton  was  there.  She  told  me  that  Captain 
George  Cuthbert,  with  his  arm  in  a  sling  from  a  wound  by 
no  means  healed,  was  going  to  risk  the  shaking  of  a  stage 
coach;  he  was  on  his  way  to  his  cousin,  William  Cuthbert 's, 
at  Flat  Rock.  Now  George  Cuthbert  is  a  type  of  the  finest 
kind  of  Southern  soldier.  We  can  not  make  them  any  bet 
ter  than  he  is.  Before  the  war  I  knew  him ;  he  traveled  in 
Europe  with  my  sister,  Kate,  and  Mary  Withers.  At  once  I 
offered  him  a  seat  in  the  comfortable  hack  Nathan  Davis 
had  engaged  for  me. 

Molly  sat  opposite  to  me,  and  often  when  I  was  tired 
held  my  feet  in  her  lap.  Captain  Cuthbert 's  man  sat  with 
the  driver.  We  had  ample  room.  We  were  a  dilapidated 
company.  I  was  so  ill  I  could  barely  sit  up,  and  Captain 
Cuthbert  could  not  use  his  right  hand  or  arm  at  all.  I  had 
to  draw  his  match,  light  his  cigar,  etc.  He  was  very  quiet, 
grateful,  gentle,  and,  I  was  going  to  say,  docile.  He  is  a 
fiery  soldier,  one  of  those  whose  whole  face  becomes  trans 
figured  in  battle,  so  one  of  his  men  told  me,  describing  his 
way  with  his  company.  He  does  not  blow  his  own  trumpet, 
but  I  made  him  tell  me  the  story  of  his  duel  with  the  Mer 
cury 's  reporter.  He  seemed  awfully  ashamed  of  wasting 
time  in  such  a  scrape. 

That  night  we  stopped  at  a  country  house  half-way  to 
ward  our  journey's  end.  There  we  met  Mr.  Charles 
Lowndes.  Rawlins  Lowndes,  his  son,  is  with  Wade  Hamp 
ton. 

First  we  drove,  by  mistake,  into  Judge  King's  yard,  our 

211 


Aug.  1,  1862  FLAT     ROCK,    N.     C.  Aug.  8,  1862 

hackman  mistaking  the  place  for  the  hotel.    Then  we  made 
Farmer's  Hotel  (as  the  seafaring  men  say). 

Burnet  Rhett,  with  his  steed,  was  at  the  door ;  horse  and 
man  were  caparisoned  with  as  much  red  and  gold  artillery 
uniform  as  they  could  bear.  He  held  his  horse.  The  stir 
rups  were  Mexican,  I  believe;  they  looked  like  little  side 
saddles.  Seeing  his  friend  and  crony,  George  Cuthbert, 
alight  and  leave  a  veiled  lady  in  the  carriage,  this  hand 
some  and  undismayed  young  artillerist  walked  round  and 
round  the  carriage,  talked  with  the  driver,  looked  in  at  the 
doors,  and  at  the  front.  Suddenly  I  bethought  me  to  raise 
my  veil  and  satisfy  his  curiosity.  Our  eyes  met,  and  I 
smiled.  It  was  impossible  to  resist  the  comic  disappoint 
ment  on  his  face  wrhen  a  woman  old  enough  to  be  George 
Cuthbert 's  mother,  with  the  ravages  of  a  year  of  gastric 
fever,  almost  fainting  with  fatigue,  greeted  his  vision.  He 
instantly  mounted  his  gallant  steed  and  pranced  away  to 
his  fiancee.  He  is  to  marry  the  greatest  heiress  in  the 
State,  Miss  Aiken.  Then  Captain  Cuthbert  told  me  his 
name. 

At  Kate's,  I  found  Sally  Rutledge,  and  then  for  weeks 
life  was  a  blank;  I  remember  nothing.  The  illness  which 
had  been  creeping  on  for  so  long  a  time  took  me  by  the 
throat.  At  Greenville  I  had  met  many  friends.  I  wit 
nessed  the  wooing  of  Barny  Heyward,  once  the  husband  of 
the  lovely  Lucy  Izard,  now  a  widower  and  a  bon  parti. 
He  was  there  nursing  Joe,  his  brother.  So  was  the  beauti 
ful  Henrietta  Magruder  Heyward,  now  a  widow,  for  poor 
Joe  died.  There  is  something  magnetic  in  Tatty  Clinch's 
large  and  lustrous  black  eyes.  No  man  has  ever  resisted 
their  influence.  She  says  her  virgin  heart  has  never  beat 
one  throb  the  faster  for  any  mortal  here  below — until  now, 
when  it  surrenders  to  Barny.  Well,  as  I  said,  Joseph  Hey 
ward  died,  and  rapidly  did  the  bereaved  beauty  shake  the 
dust  of  this  poor  Confederacy  from  her  feet  and  plume  her 
wings  for  flight  across  the  water. 

212 


CAPTAIN   GEORGE   CUTHBERT 


[Let  me  insert  here  now,  much  later,  all  I  know  of  that 
brave  spirit,  George  Cuthbert.  While  I  was  living  in  the 
winter  of  1863  at  the  corner  of  Clay  and  Twelfth  Streets  in 
Richmond,  he  came  to  see  me.  Never  did  man  enjoy  life 
more.  The  Preston  girls  were  staying  at  my  house  then, 
and  it  was  very  gay  for  the  young  soldiers  who  ran  down 
from  the  army  for  a  day  or  so.  We  had  heard  of  him,  as 
usual,  gallantly  facing  odds  at  Sharpsburg.1  And  he  asked 
if  he  should  chance  to  be  wounded  would  I  have  him 
brought  to  Clay  Street. 

He  was  shot  at  Chancellorsville,2  leading  his  men.  The 
surgeon  did  not  think  him  mortally  wounded.  He  sent  me 
a  message  that ' '  he  was  coming  at  once  to  our  house. ' '  He 
knew  he  would  soon  get  well  there.  Also  that  * '  I  need  not 
be  alarmed;  those  Yankees  could  not  kill  me."  He  asked 
one  of  his  friends  to  write  a  letter  to  his  mother.  After 
ward  he  said  he  had  another  letter  to  write,  but  that  he 
wished  to  sleep  first,  he  felt  so  exhausted.  At  his  request 
they  then  turned  his  face  away  from  the  light  and  left  him. 
When  they  came  again  to  look  at  him,  they  found  him  dead. 
He  had  been  dead  for  a  long  time.  It  was  bitter  cold; 
wounded  men  lost  much  blood  and  were  weakened  in  that 
way;  they  lacked  warm  blankets  and  all  comforts.  Many 
died  who  might  have  been  saved  by  one  good  hot  drink  or  a 
few  mouthfuls  of  nourishing  food. 

One  of  the  generals  said  to  me : ' '  Fire  and  reckless  cour 
age  like  Captain  Cuthbert 's  are  contagious;  such  men  in  an 


1  The  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  or  Antietam,  one  of  the  bloodiest  of 
the  war,  was  fought  in  western  Maryland,  a  few  miles  north  of  Har 
per's  Ferry,  on  September  16  and  17,  1862,  the  Federals  being  under 
McClellan,  and  the  Confederates  under  Lee. 

2  The  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  where  the  losses  on  each  side  were 
more  than  ten  thousand  men,  was  fought  about  fifty  miles  northwest 
of  Richmond  on  May  2,  3,  and  4,  1863.   The  Confederates  were  under 
Lee  and  the  Federals  under  Hooker.     In  this  battle  Stonewall  Jackson 
was  killed. 

213 


Aug.  1,  1862  FLAT     ROCK,    N.     C.  Aug.  8,  1862 

army  are  invaluable;  Josses  like  this  weakened  us,  indeed. " 
But  I  must  not  linger  longer  around  the  memory  of  the 
bravest  of  the  brave — a  true  exemplar  of  our  old  regime, 
gallant,  gay,  unfortunate. — M.  B.  C.] 

August  8th. — Mr.  Daniel  Blake  drove  down  to  my  sis 
ter's  in  his  heavy,  substantial  English  phaeton,  with  stout 
and  strong  horses  to  match.  I  went  back  with  him  and 
spent  two  delightful  days  at  his  hospitable  mansion.  I  met 
there,  as  a  sort  of  chaplain,  the  Rev.  Mr. .  He  dealt  un 
fairly  by  me.  We  had  a  long  argument,  and  when  we  knelt 
down  for  evening  prayers,  he  introduced  an  extempora 
neous  prayer  and  prayed  for  me  most  palpably.  There  was 
I  down  on  my  knees,  red-hot  with  rage  and  fury.  David 
W.  said  it  was  a  clear  case  of  hitting  a  fellow  when  he  was 
down.  Afterward  the  fun  of  it  all  struck  me,  and  I  found 
it  difficult  to  keep  from  shaking  with  laughter.  It  was  not 
an  edifying  religious  exercise,  to  say  the  least,  as  far  as  I 
was  concerned. 

Before  Chancellorsville,  was  fatal  Sharpsburg.1  My 
friend,  Colonel  Means,  killed  on  the  battle-field;  his  only 
son,  Stark,  wounded  and  a  prisoner.  His  wife  had  not  re 
covered  from  the  death  of  her  other  child,  Emma,  who  had 
died  of  consumption  early  in  the  war.  She  was  lying  on  a 
bed  when  they  told  her  of  her  husband's  death,  and  then 
they  tried  to  keep  Stark 's  condition  from  her.  They  think 
now  that  she  misunderstood  and  believed  him  dead,  too. 
She  threw  something  over  her  face.  She  did  not  utter  one 
word.  She  remained  quiet  so  long,  some  one  removed  the 
light  shawl  which  she  had  thrown  over  her  head  and  found 


1  During  the  summer  of  1862,  after  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  and 
before  Sharpsburg,  or  Antietam,  the  following  important  battles  had 
taken  place:  Harrison's  Landing,  July  3d  and  4th;  Harrison's  Land 
ing  again,  July  31st;  Cedar  Mountain,  August  9th;  Bull  Run  (second 
battle),  August  29th  and  30th,  and  South  Mountain,  September  14th. 

214 


GENERAL   CHESNUTS   ACTIVITIES 

she  was  dead.  Miss  Mary  Stark,  her  sister,  said  afterward, 
"  No  wonder!  How  was  she  to  face  life  without  her  hus 
band  and  children?  That  was  all  she  had  ever  lived  for. " 
These  are  sad,  unfortunate  memories.  Let  us  run  away 
from  them. 

What  has  not  my  husband  been  doing  this  year,  1862, 
when  all  our  South  Carolina  troops  are  in  Virginia  ?  Here 
we  were  without  soldiers  or  arms.  He  raised  an  army,  so  to 
speak,  and  imported  arms,  through  the  Trenholm  firm.  He 
had  arms  to  sell  to  the  Confederacy.  He  laid  the  founda 
tion  of  a  niter-bed ;  and  the  Confederacy  sent  to  Columbia  to 
learn  of  Professor  Le  Conte  how  to  begin  theirs.  He  bought 
up  all  the  old  arms  and  had  them  altered  and  repaired. 
He  built  ships.  He  imported  clothes  and  shoes  for  our  soj- 
diers,  for  which  things  they  had  long  stood  sorely  in  need. 
He  imported  cotton  cards  and  set  all  idle  hands  carding 
and  weaving.  All  the  world  was  set  to  spinning  cotton.  H& 
tried  to  stop  the  sale  of  whisky,  and  alas,  he  called  for  re 
serves — that  is,  men  over  age,  arid  he  committed  the  unfor 
givable  offense  of  sending  the  sacred  negro  property  to 
work  on  fortifications  away  from  their  owners'  planta 
tions. 


215 


XIII 

PORTLAND,    ALA. 

July  8,  1863— July  30,  1863 

HORTLAND,  Ala.,  Juhj  8,  1863.— My  mother  ill  at 
her  home  on  the  plantation  near  here — where  I  have 
come  to  see  her.  But  to  go  back  first  to  my  trip 
home  from  Flat  Rock  to  Camden.  At  the  station,  I  saw 
men  sitting  011  a  row  of  coffins  smoking,  talking,  and  laugh 
ing,  with  their  feet  drawn  up  tailor-fashion  to  keep  them 
out  of  the  wet.  Thus  does  war  harden  people's  hearts. 

Met  James  Chesnut  at  Wilmington.  He  only  crossed 
the  river  with  me  and  then  went  back  to  Richmond.  He 
was  violently  opposed  to  sending  our  troops  into  Pennsyl 
vania  :  wanted  all  we  could  spare  sent  West  to  make  an 
end  there  of  our  enemies.  He  kept  dark  about  Vallandig- 
ham.1  I  am  sure  we  could  not  trust  him  to  do  us  any  good, 
or  to  do  the  Yankees  any  harm.  The  Coriolanus  business 
is  played  out. 

As  we  came  to  Camden,  Molly  sat  by  me  in  the  cars. 
She  touched  me,  and,  with  her  nose  in  the  air,  said :  "  Look, 
Missis."  There  was  the  inevitable  bride  and  groom — at 
least  so  I  thought — and  the  irrepressible  kissing  and  lolling 
against  each  other  which  I  had  seen  so  often  before.  I  was 
rather  astonished  at  Molly's  prudery,  but  there  was  a  touch 

1  Clement  Baird  Vallandigham  was  an  Ohio  Democrat  who  repre 
sented  the  extreme  wing  of  Northern  sympathizers  with  the  South.  He 
was  arrested  by  United  States  troops  in  May,  1863,  court-martialed 
and  banished  to  the  Confederacy.  Not  being  well  received  in  the 
South,  he  went  to  Canada,  but  after  the  war  returned  to  Ohio. 

216 


NEGRO   BALLS   AND    "PASSES" 


in  this  scene  which  was  new.  The  man  required  for  his 
peace  of  mind  that  the  girl  should  brush  his  cheek  with 
those  beautiful  long  eyelashes  of  hers.  Molly  became  so 
outraged  in  her  blue-black  modesty  that  she  kept  her  head 
out  of  the  window  not  to  see !  When  we  were  detained  at  a 
little  wayside  station,  this  woman  made  an  awful  row  about 
her  room.  She  seemed  to  know  me  and  appealed  to  me ;  said 
her  brother-in-law  was  adjutant  to  Colonel  K ,  etc. 

Molly  observed,  "  You  had  better  go  yonder,  ma'am, 
where  your  husband  is  calling  you."  The  woman  drew 
herself  up  proudly,  and,  with  a  toss,  exclaimed:  "  Hus 
band,  indeed !  I  'm  a  widow.  That  is  my  cousin.  I  loved 
my  dear  husband  too  well  to  marry  again,  ever,  ever!  " 
Absolutely  tears  came  into  her  eyes.  Molly,  loaded  as  she 
was  with  shawls  and  bundles,  stood  motionless,  and  said: 
'  *  After  all  that  gwine-on  in  the  kyars !  0,  Lord,  I  should 
a  let  it  go  'twas  my  husband  and  me !  nigger  as  I  am.  ' ' 

Here  I  was  at  home,  on  a  soft  bed,  with  every  physical 
comfort;  but  life  is  one  long  catechism  there,  due  to  the 
curiosity  of  stay-at-home  people  in  a  narrow  world. 

In  Richmond,  Molly  and  Lawrence  quarreled.  He  de 
clared  he  could  not  put  up  with  her  tantrums.  Unfortu 
nately  I  asked  him,  in  the  interests  of  peace  and  a  quiet 
house,  to  bear  with  her  temper ;  I  did,  said  I,  but  she  was 
so  good  and  useful.  He  was  shabby  enough  to  tell  her  what 
I  had  said  at  their  next  quarrel.  The  awful  reproaches  she 
overwhelmed  me  with  then !  She  said  she  ' '  was  mortified 
that  I  had  humbled  her  before  Lawrence. ' ' 

But  the  day  of  her  revenge  came.  At  negro  balls  in 
Richmond,  guests  were  required  to  carry  "  passes,"  and, 
in  changing  his  coat  Lawrence  forgot  his  pass.  Next  day 
Lawrence  was  missing,  and  Molly  came  to  me  laughing  to 
tears.  * '  Come  and  look, ' '  said  she.  * '  Here  is  the  fine  gen 
tleman  tied  between  two  black  niggers  and  marched  off  to 
jail."  She  laughed  and  jeered  so  she  could  not  stand  with 
out  holding  on  to  the  window.  Lawrence  disregarded  her 

217 


July  8,  1863  PORTLAND,    ALA.  July  30,  1863 

and  called  to  me  at  the  top  of  his  voice:  "  Please,  ma'am, 
ask  Mars  Jeems  to  come  take  me  out  of  this.  I  ain't  done 
nothin'." 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Chesnut  came  home  I  told  him  of  Law 
rence 's  sad  fall,  and  he  went  at  once  to  his  rescue.  There 
had  been  a  fight  and  a  disturbance  at  the  ball.  The  police 
had  been  called  in,  and  when  every  negro  was  required  to 
show  his  "  pass,"  Lawrence  had  been  taken  up  as  having 
none.  He  was  terribly  chopfallen  when  he  came  home 
walking  behind  Mr.  Chesnut.  He  is  always  so  respectable 
and  well-behaved  and  stands  on  his  dignity. 

I  went  over  to  Mrs.  Preston's  at  Columbia.  Camden 
had  become  simply  intolerable  to  me.  There  the  telegram 
found  me,  saying  I  must  go  to  my  mother,  who  was  ill  at  her 
home  here  in  Alabama.  Colonel  Goodwyn,  his  wife,  and 
two  daughters  were  going,  and  so  I  joined  the  party.  I  tele 
graphed  Mr.  Chesnut  for  Lawrence,  and  he  replied,  for 
bidding  me  to  go  at  all ;  it  was  so  hot,  the  cars  so  disagreea 
ble,  fever  would  be  the  inevitable  result.  Miss  Kate  Hamp 
ton,  in  her  soft  voice,  said:  "  The  only  trouble  in  life  is 
when  one  can 't  decide  in  which  way  duty  leads.  Once  know 
your  duty,  then  all  is  easy. ' ' 

I  do  not  know  whether  she  thought  it  my  duty  to  obey 
my  husband.  But  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  go  to  my  mother, 
as  I  risked  nothing  but  myself. 

We  had  two  days  of  an  exciting  drama  under  our  very 
noses,  before  our  eyes.  A  party  had  come  to  Columbia  who 
said  they  had  run  the  blockade,  had  come  in  by  flag  of 
truce,  etc.  Colonel  Goodwyn  asked  me  to  look  around  and 
see  if  I  could  pick  out  the  suspected  crew.  It  was  easily 
done.  We  were  all  in  a  sadly  molting  condition.  We  had 
come  to  the  end  of  our  good  clothes  in  three  years,  and 
now  our  only  resource  was  to  turn  them  upside  down,  or 
inside  out,  and  in  mending,  darning,  patching,  etc. 

Near  me  on  the  train  to  Alabama  sat  a  young  woman 
in  a  traveling  dress  of  bright  yellow ;  she  wore  a  profusion 

218 


VICKSBURG    SURRENDERS 


of  curls,  had  pink  cheeks,  was  delightfully  airy  and  easy  in 
her  manner,  and  was  absorbed  in  a  flirtation  with  a  Confed 
erate  major,  who,  in  spite  of  his  nice,  new  gray  uniform  and 
two  stars,  had  a  very  Yankee  face,  fresh,  clean-cut,  sharp, 
utterly  unsunburned,  florid,  wholesome,  handsome.  What 
more  in  compliment  can  one  say  of  one's  enemies?  Two 
other  women  faced  this  man  and  woman,  and  we  knew 
them  to  be  newcomers  by  their  good  clothes.  One  of  these 
women  was  a  German.  She  it  was  who  had  betrayed  them. 
I  found  that  out  afterward. 

The  handsomest  of  the  three  women  had  a  hard,  North 
ern  face,  but  all  were  in  splendid  array  as  to  feathers,  flow 
ers,  lace,  and  jewelry.  If  they  were  spies  why  were  they 
so  foolish  as  to  brag  of  New  York,  and  compare  us  unfavor 
ably  with  the  other  side  all  the  time,  and  in  loud,  shrill 
accents  ?  Surely  that  was  not  the  way  to  pass  unnoticed  in 
the  Confederacy. 

A  man  came  in,  stood  up,  and  read  from  a  paper,  ' '  The 
surrender  of  Vicksburg. "  1  I  felt  as  if  I  had  been  struck  a 
hard  blow  on  the  top  of  my  head,  and  my  heart  took  one  of 
its  queer  turns.  I  was  utterly  unconscious :  not  long,  I  dare 
say.  The  first  thing  I  heard  was  exclamations  of  joy  and 
exultation  from  the  overdressed  party.  My  rage  and 
humiliation  were  great.  A  man  within  earshot  of  this 
party  had  slept  through  everything.  He  had  a  greyhound 
face,  eager  and  inquisitive  when  awake,  but  now  he  was  as 
one  of  the  seven  sleepers. 

Colonel  Goodwyn  wrote  on  a  blank  page  of  my  book 
(one  of  De  Quincey's — the  note  is  there  now),  that  the 
sleeper  was  a  Richmond  detective. 


1  Vicksburg  surrendered  on  July  4,  1863.  Since  the  close  of  1862,  it 
had  again  and  again  been  assaulted  by  Grant  and  Sherman.  It  was  com 
manded  by  Johnston  and  Pemberton,  Pemberton  being  in  command  at 
the  time  of  the  surrender.  John  C.  Pemberton  was  a  native  of  Philadel 
phia,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  had  served  in  the  Mexican  War. 
16  219 


July  8,  1863  PORTLAND,    ALA.  July  30,  1863 

Finally,  hot  and  tired  out,  we  arrived  at  West 
Point,  on  the  Chattahoochee  River.  The  dusty  cars  were 
quite  still,  except  for  the  giggling  flirtation  of  the  yellow 
gown  and  her  major.  Two  Confederate  officers  walked 
in.  I  felt  mischief  in  the  air.  One  touched  the  smart  ma 
jor,  who  was  whispering  to  Yellow  Gown.  The  major 
turned  quickly.  Instantly,  every  drop  of  blood  left  his 
face ;  a  spasm  seized  his  throat ;  it  was  a  piteous  sight.  And 
at  once  I  was  awfully  sorry  for  him.  He  was  marched  out 
of  the  car.  Poor  Yellow  Gown's  color  was  fast,  but  the 
whites  of  her  eyes  were  lurid.  Of  the  three  women  spies 
we  never  heard  again.  They  never  do  anything  worse  to 
women,  the  high-minded  Confederates,  than  send  them  out 
of  the  country.  But  when  we  read  soon  afterward  of  the 
execution  of  a  male  spy,  we  thought  of  the  "  major/' 

At  Montgomery  the  boat  waited  for  us,  and  in  my  haste 
I  tumbled  out  of  the  omnibus  with  Dr.  Robert  Johnson's 
assistance,  but  nearly  broke  my  neck.  The  thermometer 
was  high  up  in  the  nineties,  and  they  gave  me  a  stateroom 
over  the  boiler.  I  paid  out  my  Confederate  rags  of  money 
freely  to  the  maid  in  order  to  get  out  of  that  oven.  Surely, 
go  where  we  may  hereafter,  an  Alabama  steamer  in  August 
lying  under  the  bluff  with  the  sun  looking  down,  will  give 
one  a  foretaste,  almost  an  adequate  idea,  of  what 's  to  come, 
as  far  as  heat  goes.  The  planks  of  the  floor  burned  one's 
feet  under  the  bluff  at  Selma,  where  we  stayed  nearly  all 
day — I  do  not  know  why. 

Met  James  Boy  kin,  who  had  lost  1,200  bales  of  cotton  at 
Vicksburg,  and  charged  it  all  to  Jeff  Davis  in  his  wrath, 
which  did  not  seem  exactly  reasonable  to  me.  At  Portland 
there  was  a  horse  for  James  Boykin,  and  he  rode  away, 
promising  to  have  a  carriage  sent  for  me  at  once.  But  he 
had  to  go  seven  miles  on  horseback  before  he  reached  my 
sister  Sally's,  and  then  Sally  was  to  send  back.  On  that 
lonely  riverside  Molly  and  I  remained  with  dismal  swamps 
on  every  side,  and  immense  plantations,  the  white  people 

220 


OLD    FAMILY    SERVANTS 


few  or  none.    In  my  heart  I  knew  my  husband  was  right 
when  he  -forbade  me  to  undertake  this  journey. 

There  was  one  living  thing  at  this  little  riverside  inn — 
a  white  man  who  had  a  store  opposite,  and  oh,  how  drunk 
he  was !  Hot  as  it  was,  Molly  kept  up  a  fire  of  pine  knots. 
There  was  neither  lamp  nor  candle  in  that  deserted  house. 
The  drunken  man  reeled  over  now  and  then,  lantern  in 
hand ;  he  would  stand  with  his  idiotic,  drunken  glare,  or  go 
solemnly  staggering  round  us,  but  always  bowing  in  his 
politeness.  He  nearly  fell  over  us,  but  I  sprang  out  of  his 
way  as  he  asked,  *  *  Well,  madam,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  ' ; 

Shall  I  ever  forget  the  headache  of  that  night  and  the 
fright?  My  temples  throbbed  with  dumb  misery.  I  sat 
upon  a  chair,  Molly  on  the  floor,  with  her  head  resting 
against  my  chair.  She  was  as  near  as  she  could  get  to  me, 
and  I  kept  my  hand  on  her.  "  Missis,"  said  she,  "  now  I 
do  believe  you  are  scared,  scared  of  that  poor,  drunken 
thing.  If  he  was  sober  I  could  whip  him  in  a  fair  fight, 
and  drunk  as  he  is  I  kin  throw  him  over  the  banister,  ef 
he  so  much  as  teches  you.  I  don 't  value  him  a  button !  ' : 

Taking  heart  from  such  brave  words  I  laughed.  It 
seemed  an  eternity,  but  the  carriage  came  by  ten  o'clock, 
and  then,  with  the  coachman  as  our  sole  protector,  we  poor 
women  drove  eight  miles  or  more  over  a  carriage  road, 
through  long  lanes,  swamps  of  pitchy  darkness,  with  plan 
tations  on  every  side. 

The  house,  as  we  drew  near,  looked  like  a  graveyard  in 
a  nightmare,  so  vague  and  phantom-like  were  its  outlines. 

I  found  my  mother  ill  in  bed,  feeble  still,  but  better 
than  I  hoped  to  see  her.  "  I  knew  you  would  come,"  was 
her  greeting,  with  outstretched  hands.  Then  I  went  to  bed 
in  that  silent  house,  a  house  of  the  dead  it  seemed.  I  sup 
posed  I  was  not  to  see  my  sister  until  the  next  day.  But 
she  came  in  some  time  after  I  had  gone  to  bed.  She  kissed 
me  quietly,  without  a  tear.  She  was  thin  and  pale,  but  her 
voice  was  calm  and  kind. 

221 


JulyS,  1863  PORTLAND,    ALA  July-SO,  1863 

As  she  lifted  the  candle  over  her  head,  to  show  me  some 
thing  on  the  wall,  I  saw  that  her  pretty  brown  hair  was 
white.  It  was  awfully  hard  not  to  burst  out  into  violent 
weeping.  She  looked  so  sweet,  and  yet  so  utterly  broken 
hearted.  But  as  she  was  without  emotion,  apparently,  it 
would  not  become  me  to  upset  her  by  my  tears. 

Next  day,  at  noon,  Hetty,  mother's  old  maid,  brought 
my  breakfast  to  my  bedside.  Such  a  breakfast  it  was! 
Delmonico  could  do  no  better.  "  It  is  ever  so  late,  I 
know,"  to  which  Hetty  replied:  "  Yes,  we  would  not  let 
Molly  wake  you. "  "  What  a  splendid  cook  you  have  here. ' ' 
"  My  daughter,  Tenah,  is  Miss  Sally's  cook.  She's  well 
enough  as  times  go,  but  when  our  Miss  Mary  comes  to  see 
us  I  does  it  myself, ' '  and  she  courtesied  down  to  the  floor. 
"  Bless  your  old  soul,"  I  cried,  and  she  rushed  over  and 
gave  me  a  good  hug. 

She  is  my  mother's  factotum;  has  been  her  maid  since 
she  was  six  years  old,  when  she  was  bought  from  a  Virginia 
speculator  along  with  her  own  mother  and  all  her  brothers 
and  sisters.  She  has  been  pampered  until  she  is  a  rare  old 
tyrant  at  times.  She  can  do  everything  better  than  any 
one  else,  and  my  mother  leans  on  her  heavily.  Hetty  is 
Dick's  wife;  Dick  is  the  butler.  They  have  over  a  dozen 
children  and  take  life  very  easily. 

Sally  came  in  before  I  was  out  of  bed,  and  began  at 
once  in  the  same  stony  way,  pale  and  cold  as  ice,  to  tell  me 
of  the  death  of  her  children.  It  had  happened  not  two  weeks 
before.  Her  eyes  were  utterly  without  life ;  no  expression 
whatever,  and  in  a  composed  and  sad  sort  of  manner  she 
told  the  tale  as  if  it  were  something  she  had  read  and 
wanted  me  to  hear : 

' '  My  eldest  daughter,  Mary,  had  grown  up  to  be  a  love 
ly  girl.  She  was  between  thirteen  and  fourteen,  you  know. 
Baby  Kate  had  my  sister's  gray  eyes;  she  was  evidently  to 
be  the  beauty  of  the  family.  Strange  it  is  that  here  was 
one  of  my  children  who  has  lived  and  has  gone  and  you 

222 


A   SORROWFUL   STORY 


have  never  seen  her  at  all.  She  died  first,  and  I  would  not 
go  to  the  funeral.  I  thought  it  would  kill  me  to  see  her  put 
under  the  ground.  I  was  lying  down,  stupid  with  grief 
when  Aunt  Charlotte  came  to  me  after  the  funeral  with  this 
news :  '  Mary  has  that  awful  disease,  too. '  There  was 
nothing  to  say.  I  got  up  and  dressed  instantly  and  went  to 
Mary.  I  did  not  leave  her  side  again  in  that  long  struggle 
between  life  and  death.  I  did  everything  for  her  with  my 
own  hands.  I  even  prepared  my  darling  for  the  grave.  I 
went  to  her  funeral,  and  I  came  home  and  walked  straight 
to  my  mother  and  I  begged  her  to  be  comforted;  I  would 
bear  it  all  without  one  word  if  God  would  only  spare  me  the 
one  child  left  me  now. ' ' 

Sally  has  never  shed  a  tear,  but  has  grown  twenty 
years  older,  cold,  hard,  careworn.  With  the  same  rigidity 
of  manner,  she  began  to  go  over  all  the  details  of  Mary 's  ill 
ness.  ' '  I  had  not  given  up  hope,  no,  not  at  all.  As  I  sat  by 
her  side,  she  said:  '  Mamma,  put  your  hand  on  my  knees; 
they  are  so  cold.'  I  put  my  hand  on  her  knee;  the  cold 
struck  to  my  heart.  I  knew  it  was  the  coldness  of  death. ' ' 
Sally  put  out  her  hand  on  me,  and  it  seemed  to  recall  the 
feeling.  She  fell  forward  in  an  agony  of  weeping  that 
lasted  for  hours.  The  doctor  said  this  reaction  was  a  bless 
ing  ;  without  it  she  must  have  died  or  gone  mad. 

While  the  mother  was  so  bitterly  weeping,  the  little 
girl,  the  last  of  them,  a  bright  child  of  three  or  four, 
crawled  into  my  bed.  * '  Now,  Auntie, ' '  she  whispered,  '  *  I 
want  to  tell  you  all  about  Mamie  and  Katie,  but  they  watch 
me  so.  They  say  I  must  never  talk  about  them.  Katie 
died  because  she  ate  blackberries,  I  know  that,  and  then 
Aunt  Charlotte  read  Mamie  a  letter  and  that  made  her  die, 
too.  Maum  Hetty  says  they  have  gone  to  God,  but  I  know 
the  people  saved  a  place  between  them  in  the  ground  for 
me." 

Uncle  William  was  in  despair  at  the  low  ebb  of  patriot 
ism  out  here.  "  West  of  the  Savannah  River,"  said  he, 

223 


July  8,  1863  PORTLAND,    "ALA.  July  30,  1863 

"  it  is  property  first,  life  next,  honor  last."  He  gave  me 
an  excellent  pair  of  shoes.  What  a  gift !  For  more  than  a 
year  I  have  had  none  but  some  dreadful  things  Armstead 
makes  for  me,  and  they  hurt  my  feet  so.  These  do  not  fit, 
but  that  is  nothing ;  they  are  large  enough  and  do  not  pinch 
anywhere.  I  have  absolutely  a  respectable  pair  of  shoes !  ! 

Uncle  William  says  the  men  who  went  into  the  war  to 
save  their  negroes  are  abjectly  wretched.  Neither  side  now 
cares  a  fig  for  these  beloved  negroes,  and  would  send  them 
all  to  heaven  in  a  hand-basket,  as  Custis  Lee  says,  to  win 
in  the  fight. 

General  Lee  and  Mr.  Davis  want  the  negroes  put  into 
the  army.  Mr.  Chesnut  and  Major  Venable  discussed  the 
subject  one  night,  but  would  they  fight  on  our  side  or  de 
sert  to  the  enemy?  They  don't  go  to  the  enemy,  because 
they  are  comfortable  as  they  are,  and  expect  to  be  free 
anyway. 

When  we  were  children  our  nurses  used  to  give  us  tea 
out  in  the  open  air  on  little  pine  tables  scrubbed  as  clean  as 
milk-pails.  Sometimes,  as  Dick  would  pass  us,  with  his  slow 
and  consequential  step,  we  would  call  out,  "  Do,  Dick, 
come  and  wait  on  us."  "  No,  little  missies,  I  never  wait 
on  pine  tables.  Wait  till  you  get  big  enough  to  put  your 
legs  under  your  pa 's  mahogany. ' ' 

I  taught  him  to  read  as  soon  as  I  could  read  myself, 
perched  on  his  knife-board.  He  won't  look  at  me  now; 
but  looks  over  my  head,  scenting  freedom  in  the  air.  He 
was  always  very  ambitious.  I  do  not  think  he  ever  troubled 
himself  much  about  books.  But  then,  as  my  father  said, 
Dick,  standing  in  front  of  his  sideboard,  has  heard  all  sub 
jects  in  earth  or  heaven  discussed,  and  by  the  best  heads 
in  our  world.  He  is  proud,  too,  in  his  way.  Hetty,  his 
wife,  complained  that  the  other  men  servants  looked  finer 
in  their  livery.  '  Nonsense,  old  woman,  a  butler  never 
demeans  himself  to  wear  livery.  He  is  always  in  plain 
clothes. ' '  Somewhere  he  had  picked  that  up. 

224 


LAWYER   MILLER" 


He  is  the  first  negro  in  whom  I  have  felt  a  change.  Oth 
ers  go  about  in  their  black  masks,  not  a  ripple  or  an  emo 
tion  showing,  and  yet  on  all  other  subjects  except  the  war 
they  are  the  most  excitable  of  all  races.  Now  Dick  might 
make  a  very  respectable  Egyptian  Sphinx,  so  inscrutably 
silent  is  he.  He  did  deign  to  inquire  about  General  Rich 
ard  Anderson.  "  He  was  my  young  master  once,"  said  he. 
' '  I  always  will  like  him  better  than  anybody  else. ' ' 

When  Dick  married  Hetty,  the  Anderson  house  was 
next  door.  The  two  families  agreed  to  sell  either  Dick  or 
Hetty,  whichever  consented  to  be  sold.  Hetty  refused  out 
right,  and  the  Andersons  sold  Dick  that  he  might  be  with 
his  wife.  This  was  magnanimous  on  the  Andersons'  part, 
for  Hetty  was  only  a  lady's-maid  and  Dick  was  a  trained 
butler,  on  whom  Mrs.  Anderson  had  spent  no  end  of  pains 
in  his  dining-room  education,  and,  of  course,  if  they  had 
refused  to  sell  Dick,  Hetty  would  have  had  to  go  to  them, 
Mrs.  Anderson  was  very  much  disgusted  with  Dick's  in 
gratitude  when  she  found  he  was  willing  to  leave  them. 
As  a  butler  he  is  a  treasure ;  he  is  overwhelmed  with  dignity, 
but  that  does  not  interfere  with  his  work  at  all. 

My  father  had  a  body-servant,  Simon,  who  could  imi 
tate  his  master's  voice  perfectly.  He  would  sometimes  call 
out  from  the  yard  after  my  father  had  mounted  his  horse : 
"  Dick,  bring  me  my  overcoat.  I  see  you  there,  sir,  hurry 
up. ' '  When  Dick  hastened  out,  overcoat  in  hand,  and  only 
Simon  was  visible,  after  several  obsequious  "  Yes,  mars- 
ter;  just  as  marster  pleases,"  my  mother  had  always  to 
step  out  and  prevent  a  fight.  Dick  never  forgave  her 
laughing. 

Once  in  Sumter,  when  my  father  was  very  busy  pre 
paring  a  law  case,  the  mob  in  the  street  annoyed  him,  and 
he  grumbled  about  it  as  Simon  was  making  up  his  fire. 
Suddenly  he  heard,  as  it  were,  himself  speaking,  ' '  the  Hon. 
S.  D.  Miller — Lawyer  Miller,"  as  the  colored  gentleman 
announced  himself  in  the  dark — appeal  to  the  gentlemen 

225 


July  8,  1863  PORTLAND,    ALA.  July  30,  1863 

outside  to  go  away  and  leave  a  lawyer  in  peace  to  prepare 
his  case  for  the  next  day.  My  father  said  he  could  have 
sworn  the  sound  was  that  of  his  own  voice.  The  crowd  dis 
persed,  but  some  noisy  negroes  came  along,  and  upon  them 
Simon  rushed  with  the  sulky  whip,  slashing  around  in  the 
dark,  calling  himself  "  Lawyer  Miller,"  who  was  deter 
mined  to  have  peace. 

Simon  returned,  complaining  that  "  them  niggers  run 
so  he  never  got  in  a  hundred  yards  of  one  of  them. ' ' 

At  Portland,  we  met  a  man  who  said:  "  Is  it  not 
strange  that  in  this  poor,  devoted  land  of  ours,  there  are 
some  men  who  are  making  money  by  blockade-running, 
cheating  our  embarrassed  government,  and  skulking  the 
fight?  " 

Montgomery,  July  30th. — Coming  on  here  from  Port 
land  there  was  no  stateroom  for  me.  My  mother  alone  had 
one.  My  aunt  and  I  sat  nodding  in  armchairs,  for  the 
floors  and  sofas  were  covered  with  sleepers,  too.  On  the 
floor  that  night,  so  hot  that  even  a  little  covering  of  clothes 
could  not  be  borne,  lay  a  motley  crew.  Black,  white,  and 
yellow  disported  themselves  in  promiscuous  array.  Chil 
dren  and  their  nurses,  bared  to  the  view,  were  wrapped 
in  the  profoundest  slumber.  No  caste  prejudices  were  here. 
Neither  Garrison,  John  Brown,  nor  Gerrit  Smith  ever 
dreamed  of  equality  more  untrammeled.  A  crow-black, 
enormously  fat  negro  man  waddled  in  every  now  and  then 
to  look  after  the  lamps.  The  atmosphere  of  that  cabin  was 
stifling,  and  the  sight  of  those  figures  on  the  floor  did  not 
make  it  more  tolerable.  So  we  soon  escaped  and  sat  out 
near  the  guards. 

The  next  day  was  the  very  hottest  I  have  ever  known. 
One  supreme  consolation  was  the  watermelons,  the  very  fin 
est,  and  the  ice.  A  very  handsome  woman,  whom  T  did  not 
know,  rehearsed  all  our  disasters  in  the  field.  And  then,  as 
if  she  held  me  responsible,  she  faced  me  furiously,  "  And 
where  are  our  big  men?  "  "  Whom  do  you  mean?  "  'I 

226 


A    WRETCHED    JOURNEY 


mean  our  leaders,  the  men  we  have  a  right  to  look  to  to  save 
us.  They  got  us  into  this  scrape.  Let  them  get  us  out  of 
it.  Where  are  our  big  men  ?  ' :  I  sympathized  with  her  and 
understood  her,  but  I  answered  lightly,  "  I  do  not  know 
the  exact  size  you 'want  them." 

Here  in  Montgomery,  we  have  been  so  hospitably  re 
ceived.  Ye  gods !  how  those  women  talked !  and  all  at  the 
same  time !  They  put  me  under  the  care  of  General  Dick 
Taylor's  brother-in-law,  a  Mr.  Gordon,  who  married  one 
of  the  Beranges.  A  very  pleasant  arrangement  it  was  for 
me.  He  was  kind  and  attentive  and  vastly  agreeable  with 
his  New  Orleans  anecdotes.  On  the  first  of  last  January  all 
his  servants  left  him  but  four.  To  these  faithful  few  he 
gave  free  papers  at  once,  that  they  might  lose  naught  by 
loyalty  should  the  Confederates  come  into  authority  once 
more.  He  paid  high  wages  and  things  worked  smoothly  for 
some  weeks.  One  day  his  wife  saw  some  Yankee  officers7 
cards  on  a  table,  and  said  to  her  maid,  "  I  did  not  know 
any  of  these  people  had  called  ?  ' : 

' '  Oh,  Missis !  ' '  the  maid  replied,  * '  they  come  to  see  me, 
and  I  have  been  waiting  to  tell  you.  It  is  too  hard !  I  can 
not  do  it!  I  can  not  dance  with  those  nice  gentlemen  at 
night  at  our  Union  Balls  and  then  come  here  and  be  your 
servant  the  next  day.  I  can 't !  ' ;  "  So, "  said  Mr.  Gordon, 
"  freedom  must  be  followed  by  fraternity  and  equality." 
One  by  one  the  faithful  few  slipped  away  and-  the  family 
were  left  to  their  own  devices.  Why  not  ? 

When  General  Dick  Taylor's  place  was  sacked  his  ne 
groes  moved  down  to  Algiers,  a  village  near  New  Orleans. 
An  old  woman  came  to  Mr.  Gordon  to  say  that  these  ne 
groes  wanted  him  to  get  word  to  "  Mars  Dick  "  that  they 
were  dying  of  disease  and  starvation ;  thirty  had  died  that 
day.  Dick  Taylor's  help  being  out  of  the  question,  Mr. 
Gordon  applied  to  a  Federal  officer.  He  found  this  one  not 
a  philanthropist,  but  a  cynic,  who  said :  ' '  All  right ;  it  is 
working  out  as  I  expected.  Improve  negroes  and  Indians 

227 


July  8,  1863  PORTLAND,  -ALA.  July  30,  1863 

off  the  continent.     Their  strong  men  we  put  in  the  army. 
The  rest  will  disappear/* 

Joe  Johnston  can  sulk.  As  he  is  sent  West,  he  says, 
11  They  may  give  Lee  the  army  Joe  Johnston  trained." 
Lee  is  reaping  where  he  sowed,  he  thinks,  but  then  he  was 
backing  straight  through  Richmond  when  they  stopped  his 
retreating. 


228 


XIV 

RICHMOND,   VA. 

August  10,  1863— September  7,  1863 

0ICHMOND,  Va.,  August  10,  1863.— To-day  I  had  a 
letter  from  my  sister,  who  wrote  to  inquire  about 
her  old  playmate,  friend,  and  lover,  Boy  kin  McCaa. 
It  is  nearly  twenty  years  since  each  was  married ;  each  now 
has  children  nearly  grown.  ' '  To  tell  the  truth, ' '  she  writes, 
' '  in  these  last  dreadful  years,  with  David  in  Florida,  where 
I  can  not  often  hear  from  him,  and  everything  dismal,  anx 
ious,  and  disquieting,  I  had  almost  forgotten  Boykin's  ex 
istence,  but  he  came  here  last  night ;  he  stood  by  my  bedside 
and  spoke  to  me  kindly  and  affectionately,  as  if  we  had  just 
parted.  I  said,  holding  out  my  hand,  '  Boykin,  you  are 
very  pale.'  He  answered,  '  I  have  come  to  tell  you  good- 
by,'  and  then  seized  both  my  hands.  His  own  hands  were 
as  cold  and  hard  as  ice ;  they  froze  the  marrow  of  my  bones. 
I  screamed  again  and  again  until  my  whole  household  came 
rushing  in,  and  then  came  the  negroes  from  the  yard,  all 
wakened  by  my  piercing  shrieks.  This  may  have  been  a 
dream,  but  it  haunts  me. 

' '  Some  one  sent  me  an  old  paper  with  an  account  of  his 
wounds  and  his  recovery,  but  I  know  he  is  dead." 
"  Stop !  "  said  my  husband  at  this  point,  and  then  he  read 
from  that  day's  Examiner  these  words:  "  Captain  Bur- 
well  Boykin  McCaa  found  dead  upon  the  battle-field  lead 
ing  a  cavalry  charge  at  the  head  of  his  company.  He  was 
shot  through  the  head." 

The  famous  colonel  of  the  Fourth  Texas,  by  name  John 

229 


Aug.  10,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  Sept.  7,  1863 

Bell  Hood,1  is  here — him  we  call  Sam,  because  his  class 
mates  at  West  Point  did  so — for  what  cause  is  not  known. 
'John  Darby  asked  if  he  might  bring  his  hero  to  us ;  bragged 
of  him  extensively;  said  he  had  won  his  three  stars,  etc., 
under  Stonewall 's  eye,  and  that  he  was  promoted  by  Stone 
wall 's  request.  When  Hood  came  with  his  sad  Quixote 
face,  the  face  of  an  old  Crusader,  who  believed  in  his  cause, 
his  cross,  and  his  crown,  we  were  not  prepared  for  such  a 
man  as  a  beau-ideal  of  the  wild  Texans.  He  is  tall,  thin, 
and  shy ;  has  blue  eyes  and  light  hair ;  a  tawny  beard,  and 
a  vast  amount  of  it,  covering  the  lower  part  of  his  face,  the 
whole  appearance  that  of  awkward  strength.  Some  one 
said  that  his  great  reserve  of  manner  he  carried  only  into 
the  society  of  ladies.  Major  Venable  added  that  he  had 
often  heard  of  the  light  of  battle  shining  in  a  man's  eyes. 
He  had  seen  it  once — when  he  carried  to  Hood  orders  from 
Lee,  and  found  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight  that  the  man  was 
transfigured.  The  fierce  light  of  Hood's  eyes  I  can  never 
forget. 

Hood  came  to  ask  us  to  a  picnic  next  day  at  Drury's 
Bluff.2  The  naval  heroes  were  to  receive  us  and  then  we 
were  to  drive  out  to  the  Texan  camp.  We  accused  John 
Darby  of  having  instigated  this  unlooked-for  festivity.  We 
were  to  have  bands  of  music  and  dances,  with  turkeys, 
chickens,  and  buffalo  tongues  to  eat.  Next  morning,  just 
as  my  foot  was  on  the  carriage-step,  the  girls  standing  be 
hind  ready  to  follow  me  with  Johnny  and  the  Infant 
Samuel  (Captain  Shannon  by  proper  name),  up  rode  John 
Darby  in  red-hot  haste,  threw  his  bridle  to  one  of  the  men 
who  was  holding  the  horses,  and  came  toward  us  rapidly, 
clanking  his  cavalry  spurs  with  a  despairing  sound  as  he 


1  Hood  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  graduate  of  West  Point. 

2  Drury's  Bluff  lies  eight  miles  south  of  Richmond  on   the  James 
River.     Here,  on  May  16,  1864,  the  Confederates  under  Beauregard 
repulsed  the  Federals  under  Butler. 

230 


WADE    HAMPTON.      ' 


ROBERT   TOOMBS. 


JOHN   C.    PRKSTnN. 


JOHN  H.  MORGAN. 


JOSEPH  B.  KERSHAW. 


JAMES  CHESNl'T,  JR. 


ANOTHER  GROUP  OF  CONFEDERATE  GENERALS. 


GENERAL    JOHN    B.    HOOD 


cried :  ' '  Stop !  it 's  all  up.  We  are  ordered  back  to  the 
Rappahannoek.  The  brigade  is  marching  through  Rich 
mond  now. ' '  So  we  unpacked  and  unloaded,  dismissed  the 
hacks  and  sat  down  with  a  sigh. 

'  *  Suppose  we  go  and  see  them  pass  the  turnpike, ' '  some 
one  said.  The  suggestion  was  hailed  with  delight,  and  off 
we  marched.  Johnny  and  the  Infant  were  in  citizens' 
clothes,  and  the  Straggler — as  Hood  calls  John  Darby,  since 
the  Prestons  have  been  in  Richmond — was  all  plaided  and 
plumed  in  his  surgeon's  array.  He  never  bated  an  inch  of 
bullion  or  a  feather ;  he  was  courting  and  he  stalked  ahead 
with  Mary  Preston,  Buck,  and  Johnny.  The  Infant  and 
myself,  both  stout  and  scant  of  breath,  lagged  last.  They 
called  back  to  us,  as  the  Infant  came  toddling  along, 
*  *  Hurry  up  or  we  will  leave  you. ' ' 

At  the  turnpike  we  stood  on  the  sidewalk  and  saw  ten 
thousand  men  march  by.  We  had  seen  nothing  like  this  be 
fore.  Hitherto  we  had  seen  only  regiments  inarching  spick 
and  span  in  their  fresh,  smart  clothes,  just  from  home  and 
on  their  way  to  the  army.  Such  rags  and  tags  as  we  saw 
now.  Nothing  was  like  anything  else.  Most  garments  and 
arms  were  such  as  had  been  taken  from  the  enemy.  Such 
shoes  as  they  had  on.  "  Oh,  our  brave  boys!  "  moaned 
Buck.  Such  tin  pans  and  pots  as  were  tied  to  their  waists, 
with  bread  or  bacon  stuck  on  the  ends  of  their  bayonets. 
Anything  that  could  be  spiked  was  bayoneted  and  held 
aloft. 

They  did  not  seem  to  mind  their  shabby  condition ;  they 
laughed,  shouted,  and  cheered  as  they  marched  by.  Not  a 
disrespectful  or  light  word  was  spoken,  but  they  went  for 
the  men  who  were  huddled  behind  us,  and  who  seemed  to  be 
trying  to  make  themselves  as  small  as  possible  in  order  to 
escape  observation. 

Hood  and  his  staff  finally  came  galloping  up,  dismount 
ed,  and  joined  us.  Mary  Preston  gave  him  a  bouquet. 
Thereupon  he  unwrapped  a  Bible,  which  he  carried  in  his 

231 


Aug.  10,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  7,  1863 

pocket.  He  said  his  mother  had  given  it  to  him.  He 
pressed  a  flower  in  it.  Mary  Preston  suggested  that  he  had 
not  worn  or  used  it  at  all,  being  fresh,  new,  and  beautifully 
kept.  Every  word  of  this  the  Texans  heard  as  they 
marched  by,  almost  touching  us.  They  laughed  and  joked 
and  made  their  own  rough  comments. 

September  7th. — Major  Edward  Johnston  did  not  get 
into  the  Confederacy  until  after  the  first  battle  of  Manas- 
sas.  For  some  cause,  before  he  could  evade  that  potentate, 
Seward  rang  his  little  bell  and  sent  him  to  a  prison  in  the 
harbor  of  New  York.  I  forget  whether  he  was  exchanged 
or  escaped  of  his  own  motion.  The  next  thing  I  heard  of 
my  antebellum  friend  he  had  defeated  Milroy  in  Western 
Virginia.  There  were  so  many  Johnstons  that  for  this  vic 
tory  they  named  him  Alleghany  Johnston. 

He  had  an  odd  habit  of  falling  into  a  state  of  incessant 
winking  as  soon  as  he  became  the  least  startled  or  agitated. 
In  such  times  he  seemed  persistently  to  be  winking  one  eye 
at  you.  He  meant  nothing  by  it,  and  in  point  of  fact  did 
not  know  himself  that  he  was  doing  it.  In  Mexico  he  had 
been  wounded  in  the  eye,  and  the  nerve  vibrates  independ 
ently  of  his  will.  During  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863  he 
was  on  crutches.  After  a  while  he  hobbled  down  Franklin 
Street  with  us,  we  proud  to  accommodate  our  pace  to  that 
of  the  wounded  general.  His  ankle  continued  stiff ;  so  when 
he  sat  down  another  chair  had  to  be  put  before  him.  On 
this  he  stretched  out  his  stiff  leg,  straight  as  a  ramrod.  At 
that  time  he  was  our  only  wounded  knight,  and  the  girls 
waited  on  him  and  made  life  pleasant  for  him. 

One  night  I  listened  to  two  love-tales  at  once,  in  a  dis 
tracted  state  of  mind  between  the  two.  William  Porcher 
Miles,  in  a  perfectly  modulated  voice,  in  cadenced  accents 
and  low  tones,  was  narrating  the  happy  end  of  his  affair. 
He  had  been  engaged  to  sweet  little  Bettie  Bierne,  and  I 
gave  him  my  congratulations  with  all  my  heart.  It  was  a 
capital  match,  suitable  in  every  way,  good  for  her,  and 

232 


TWO   LOVE -TALES 


good  for  him.  I  was  deeply  interested  in  Mr.  Miles 's  story, 
but  there  was  din  and  discord  on  the  other  hand ;  old  Ed 
ward,  our  pet  general,  sat  diagonally  across  the  room  with 
one  leg  straight  out  like  a  poker,  wrapped  in  red  carpet 
leggings,  as  red  as  a  turkey-cock  in  the  face.  His  head  is 
strangely  shaped,  like  a  cone  or  an  old-fashioned  beehive; 
or,  as  Buck  said,  there  are  three  tiers  of  it ;  it  is  like  a  pope 's 
tiara. 

There  he  sat,  with  a  loud  voice  and  a  thousand  winks, 
making  love  to  Mary  P.  I  make  no  excuse  for  listening. 
It  was  impossible  not  to  hear  him.  I  tried  not  to  lose  a 
word  of  Mr.  Miles 's  idyl  as  the  despair  of  the  veteran  was 
thundered  into  my  other  ear.  I  lent  an  ear  to  each  conver 
sationalist.  Mary  can  not  altogether  control  her  voice,  and 
her  shrill  screams  of  negation,  "No,  no,  never,"  etc.,  ut 
terly  failed  to  suppress  her  wounded  lover's  obstreperous 
asseverations  of  his  undying  affection  for  her. 

Buck  said  afterward :  ' '  We  heard  every  word  of  it  on 
our  side  of  the  room,  even  when  Mamie  shrieked  to  him  that 
he  was  talking  too  loud.  Now,  Mamie, ' '  said  we  afterward, 
"  do  you  think  it  was  kind  to  tell  him  he  was  forty  if  he 
was  a  day?  " 

Strange  to  say,  the  pet  general,  Edward,  rehabilitated 
his  love  in  a  day;  at  least  two  days  after  he  was  heard  to 
say  that  he  was  "  paying  attentions  now  to  his  cousin, 
John  Preston 's  second  daughter ;  her  name,  Sally,  but  they 
called  her  Buck — Sally  Buchanan  Campbell  Preston,  a 
lovely  girl/'  And  with  her  he  now  drove,  rode,  and  hob 
bled  on  his  crutches,  sent  her  his  photograph,  and  in  due 
time  cannonaded  her,  from  the  same  spot  where  he  had 
courted  Mary,  with  proposals  to  marry  him. 

Buck  was  never  so  decided  in  her  "  Nos  "  as  Mary. 
("  Not  so  loud,  at  least  " — thus  in  amendment,  says  Buck, 
who  always  reads  what  I  have  written,  and  makes  comments 
of  assent  or  dissent.)  So  again  he  began  to  thunder  in 
a  woman's  ears  his  tender  passion.  As  they  rode  down 

233 


Aug.  10,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  Sept.  7,  1863 

Franklin  Street,  Buck  says  she  knows  the  people  on  the 
sidewalk  heard  snatches  of  the  conversation,  though  she 
rode  as  rapidly  as  she  could,  and  she  begged  him  not  to  talk 
so  loud.  Finally,  they  dashed  up  to  our  door  as  if  they 
had  been  running  a  race.  Unfortunate  in  love,  but  fortu 
nate  in  war,  our  general  is  now  winning  new  laurels  with 
Ewell  in  the  Valley  or  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

I  think  I  have  told  how  Miles,  still  "  so  gently  o'er  me 
leaning,"  told  of  his  successful  love  while  General  Ed 
ward  Johnston  roared  unto  anguish  and  disappointment 
over  his  failures.  Mr.  Miles  spoke  of  sweet  little  Bettie 
Bierne  as  if  she  had  been  a  French  girl,  just  from  a  con 
vent,  kept  far  from  the  haunts  of  men  wholly  for  him. 
One  would  think  to  hear  him  that  Bettie  had  never  cast 
those  innocent  blue  eyes  of  hers  on  a  man  until  he  came 
along. 

Now,  since  I  first  knew  Miss  Bierne  in  1857,  when  Pat 
Calhoun  was  to  the  fore,  she  has  been  followed  by  a  tale  of 
men  as  long  as  a  Highland  chief's.  Every  summer  at  the 
Springs,  their  father  appeared  in  the  ballroom  a  little 
before  twelve  and  chased  the  three  beautiful  Biernes 
home  before  him  in  spite  of  all  entreaties,  and  he  was  said 
to  frown  away  their  too  numerous  admirers  at  all  hours  of 
the  day. 

This  new  engagement  was  confided  to  me  as  a  profound 
secret.  Of  course,  I  did  not  mention  it,  even  to  my  own 
household.  Next  day  little  Alston,  Morgan's  adjutant,  and 
George  Deas  called.  As  Colonel  Deas  removed  his  gloves, 
he  said:  "Oh!  the  Miles  and  Bierne  sensation — have  you 
heard  of  it?  "  "No,  what  is  the  row  about?  "  "  They 
are  engaged  to  be  married;  that's  all."  "  Who  told 
you?  "  "  Miles  himself,  as  we  walked  down  Franklin 
Street,  this  afternoon."  "  And  did  he  not  beg  you  not  to 
mention  it,  as  Bettie  did  not  wish  it  spoken  of  ?  "  "  God 
bless  my  soul,  so  he  did.  And  I  forgot  that  part  entirely." 

Colonel  Alston  begged  the  stout  Carolinian  not  to  take 

234 


A    CANNONADE    AND    A    WEDDING 

his  inadvertent  breach  of  faith  too  much  to  heart.  Miss 
Bettie's  engagement  had  caused  him  a  dreadful  night.  A 
young  man,  who  was  his  intimate  friend,  came  to  his  room 
in  the  depths  of  despair  and  handed  him  a  letter  from  Miss 
Bierne,  which  was  the  cause  of  all  his  woe.  Not  knowing 
that  she  was  already  betrothed  to  Miles,  he  had  proposed 
to  her  in  an  eloquent  letter.  In  her  reply,  she  positively 
stated  that  she  was  engaged  to  Mr.  Miles,  and  instead  of 
thanking  her  for  putting  him  at  once  out  of  his  misery,  he 
considered  the  reason  she  gave  as  trebly  aggravating  the 
agony  of  the  love-letter  and  the  refusal.  ' '  Too  late !  "  he 
yelled,  * '  by  Jingo !  ' :  So  much  for  a  secret. 

Miss  Bierne  and  I  became  fast  friends.  Our  friendship 
was  based  on  a  mutual  admiration  for  the  honorable  mem 
ber  from  South  Carolina.  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Myers  and 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  Chesnut  were  the  only  friends  of  Mr. 
Miles  who  were  invited  to  the  wedding.  At  the  church 
door  the  sexton  demanded  our  credentials.  No  one  but 
those  whose  names  he  held  in  his  hand  were  allowed  to  en 
ter.  Not  twenty  people  were  present — a  mere  handful 
grouped  about  the  altar  in  that  large  church. 

We  were  among  the  first  to  arrive.  Then  came  a  faint 
nutter  and  Mrs.  Parkman  (the  bride's  sister,  swathed  in 
weeds  for  her  young  husband,  who  had  been  killed  within  a 
year  of  her  marriage)  came  rapidly  up  the  aisle  alone.  She 
dropped  upon  her  knees  in  the  front  pew,  and  there  re 
mained,  motionless,  during  the  whole  ceremony,  a  mass  of 
black  crape,  and  a  dead  weight  on  my  heart.  She  has  had 
experience  of  war.  A  cannonade  around  Richmond  inter 
rupted  her  marriage  service — a  sinister  omen — and  in  a 
year  thereafter  her  bridegroom  was  stiff  and  stark — dead 
upon  the  field  of  battle. 

While  the  wedding-march  turned  our  thoughts  from  her 

and  thrilled  us  with  sympathy,  the  bride  advanced  in  white 

satin  and  point  d'Alencon.    Mrs.  Myers  whispered  that  it 

was  Mrs.  Parkman 's  wedding-dress  that  the  bride  had  on. 

17  235 


Aug.  10,  1863  RICHMOND*,     VA.  Sept.  7,  1863 

She  remembered  the  exquisite  lace,  and  she  shuddered  with 
superstitious  forebodings. 

All  had  been  going  on  delightfully  in-doors,  but  a  sharp 
shower  cleared  the  church  porch  of  the  curious ;  and,  as  the 
water  splashed,  we  wondered  how  we  were  to  assemble  our 
selves  at  Mrs.  McFarland's.  All  the  horses  in  Richmond 
had  been  impressed  for  some  sudden  cavalry  necessity  a 
few  days  before.  I  ran  between  Mr.  McFarland  and  Sena 
tor  Semmes  with  my  pretty  Paris  rose-colored  silk  turned 
over  my  head  to  save  it,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  hospi 
table  mansion  of  the  McFarlands,  Mr.  McFarland  took  me 
straight  into  the  drawing-room,  man-like,  forgetting  that 
my  ruffled  plumes  needed  a  good  smoothing  and  preening. 

Mrs.  Lee  sent  for  me.  She  was  staying  at  Mrs.  Caskie's. 
I  was  taken  directly  to  her  room,  where  she  was  lying  on  the 
bed.  She  said,  before  I  had  taken  my  seat:  "  You  know 
there  is  a  fight  going  on  now  at  Brandy  Station  1  "  x  *  *  Yes, 
we  are  anxious.  John  Chesnut 's  company  is  there,  too." 
She  spoke  sadly,  but  quietly.  "  My  son,  Roony,  is  wound 
ed;  his  brother  has  gone  for  him.  They  will  soon  be  here 
and  we  shall  know  all  about  it  unless  Roony 's  wife  takes 
him  to  her  grandfather.  Poor  lame  mother,  I  am  useless 
to  my  children."  Mrs.  Caskie  said:  "  You  need  not  be 
alarmed.  The  General  said  in  his  telegram  that  it  was  not 
a  severe  wound.  You  know  even  Yankees  believe  General 
Lee." 

That  day,  Mrs.  Lee  gave  me  a  likeness  of  the  General  in 
a  photograph  taken  soon  after  the  Mexican  War.  She  likes 
it  so  much  better  than  the  later  ones.  He  certainly  was  a 
handsome  man  then,  handsomer  even  than  now.  I  shall 
prize  it  for  Mrs.  Lee's  sake,  too.  She  said  old  Mrs.  Chesnut 
and  her  aunt,  Nellie  Custis  (Mrs.  Lewis)  were  very  inti 
mate  during  Washington's  Administration  in  Philadelphia. 
I  told  her  Mrs.  Chesnut,  senior,  was  the  historical  member 

1  The  battle  of  Brandy  Station,  Va.,  occurred  June  9,  1863. 
236 


FRANK  HAMPTON'S  FUNERAL 

of  our  family;  she  had  so  much  to  tell  of  Revolutionary 
times.  She  was  one  of  the  "  white-robed  choir  "  of  little 
maidens  who  scattered  flowers  before  Washington  at  Tren 
ton  Bridge,  which  everybody  who  writes  a  life  of  Washing 
ton  asks  her  to  give  an  account  of. 

Mrs.  Ould  and  Mrs.  Davis  came  home  with  me.  Law 
rence  had  a  basket  of  delicious  cherries.  "  If  there  were 
only  some  ice,"  said  I.  Respectfully  Lawrence  answered, 
and  also  firmly :  ' l  Give  me  money  and  you  shall  have  ice. ' ' 
By  the  underground  telegraph  he  had  heard  of  an  ice-house 
over  the  river,  though  its  fame  was  suppressed  by  certain 
Sybarites,  as  they  wanted  it  all.  In  a  wonderfully  short 
time  we  had  mint-juleps  and  sherry-cobblers. 

Altogether  it  has  been  a  pleasant  day,  and  as  I  sat  alone 
I  was  laughing  lightly  now  and  then  at  the  memory  of 
some  funny  story.  Suddenly,  a  violent  ring ;  and  a  regular 
sheaf  of  telegrams  were  handed  me.  I  could  not  have 
drawn  away  in  more  consternation  if  the  sheets  had  been  a 
nest  of  rattlesnakes.  First,  Frank  Hampton  was  killed  at 
Brandy  Station.  Wade  Hampton  telegraphed  Mr.  Chesnut 
to.  see  Robert  Barnwell,  and  make  the  necessary  arrange 
ments  to  recover  the  body.  Mr.  Chesnut  is  still  at  Wilming 
ton.  I  sent  for  Preston  Johnston,  and  my  neighbor,  Colonel 
Patton,  offered  to  see  that  everything  proper  was  done. 
That  afternoon  I  walked  out  alone.  Willie  Mountford  had 
shown  me  where  the  body,  all  that  was  left  of  Frank  Hamp 
ton,  was  to  be  laid  in  the  Capitol.  Mrs.  Petticola  joined  me 
after  a  while,  and  then  Mrs.  Singleton. 

Preston  Hampton  and  Peter  Trezevant,  with  myself  and 
Mrs.  Singleton,  formed  the  sad  procession  which  followed 
the  coffin.  There  was  a  company  of  soldiers  drawn  up  in 
front  of  the  State  House  porch.  Mrs.  Singleton  said  we  had 
better  go  in  and  look  at  him  before  the  coffin  was  finally 
closed.  How  I  wish  I  had  not  looked.  I  remember  him  so 
well  in  all  the  pride  of  his  magnificent  manhood.  He  died 
of  a  saber-cut  across  the  face  and  head,  and  was  utterly  dis- 

237 


Aug.  10,  1863  RICHMOND*,    VA.  Sept.  7,  1863 

figured.  Mrs.  Singleton  seemed  convulsed  with  grief.  In 
all  my  life  I  had  never  seen  such  bitter  weeping.  She  had 
her  own  troubles,  but  I  did  not  know  of  them.  We  sat  for 
a  long  time  on  the  great  steps  of  the  State  House.  Every 
body  had  gone  and  we  were  alone. 

We  talked  of  it  all — how  we  had  gone  to  Charleston  to 
see  Rachel  in  Adrienne  Lecouvreur,  and  how,  as  I  stood 
waiting  in  the  passage  near  the  drawing-room,  I  had  met 
Frank  Hampton  bringing  his  beautiful  bride  from  the 
steamer.  They  had  just  landed.  Afterward  at  Mrs.  Sin 
gleton's  place  in  the  country  we  had  all  spent  a  delightful 
week  together.  And  now,  only  a  few  years  have  passed, 
but  nearly  all  that  pleasant  company  are  dead,  and  our 
world,  the  only  world  we  cared  for,  literally  kicked  to 
pieces.  And  she  cried,  *  *  We  are  two  lone  women,  stranded 
here."  Rev.  Robert  Barnwell  was  in  a  desperate  condition, 
and  Mary  Barnwell,  her  daughter,  was  expecting  her  con 
finement  every  day. 

Here  now,  later,  let  me  add  that  it  was  not  until  I  got 
back  to  Carolina  that  I  heard  of  Robert  Barnwell 's  death, 
with  scarcely  a  day's  interval  between  it  and  that  of  Mary 
and  her  new-born  baby.  Husband,  wife,  and  child  were 
buried  at  the  same  time  in  the  same  grave  in  Columbia. 
And  now,  Mrs.  Singleton  has  three  orphan  grandchildren. 
What  a  woful  year  it  has  been  to  her. 

Robert  Barnwell  had  insisted  upon  being  sent  to  the  hos 
pital  at  Staunton.  On  account  of  his  wife's  situation  the 
doctor  also  had  advised  it.  He  was  carried  off  on  a  mattress. 
His  brave  wife  tried  to  prevent  it,  and  said :  "  It  is  only  fe 
ver."  And  she  nursed  him  to  the  last.  She  tried  to  say  good- 
by  cheerfully,  and  called  after  him :  "  As  soon  as  my  trouble 
is  over  I  will  come  to  you  at  Staunton."  At  the  hospital 
they  said  it  was  typhoid  fever.  He  died  the  second  day 
after  he  got  there.  Poor  Mary  fainted  when  she  heard  the 
ambulance  drive  away  with  him.  Then  she  crept  into  a 
low  trundle-bed  kept  for  the  children  in  her  mother's  room. 

238 


MR.    AND    MRS.    ROBERT    BARNWELL 

She  never  left  that  bed  again.  When  the  message  came 
from  Staunton  that  fever  was  the  matter  with  Robert  and 
nothing  more,  Mrs.  Singleton  says  she  will  never  forget  the 
expression  in  Mary's  eyes  as  she  turned  and  looked  at  her. 
"  Robert  will  get  well,"  she  said,  "  it  is  all  right."  Her 
face  was  radiant,  blazing  with  light.  That  night  the  baby 
was  born,  and  Mrs.  Singleton  got  a  telegram  that  Robert 
was  dead.  She  did  not  tell  Mary,  standing,  as  she  did,  at 
the  window  while  she  read  it.  She  was  at  the  same  time 
looking  for  Robert's  body,  which  might  come  any  mo 
ment.  As  for  Mary's  life  being  in  danger,  she  had  never 
thought  of  such  a  thing.  She  was  thinking  only  of  Robert. 
Then  a  servant  touched  her  and  said :  '  *  Look  at  Mrs.  Barn- 
well.  ' '  She  ran  to  the  bedside,  and  the  doctor,  who  had  come 
in,  said,  "  It  is  all  over ;  she  is  dead. ' '  Not  in  anger,  not  in 
wrath,  came  the  angel  of  death  that  day.  He  came  to  set 
Mary  free  from  a  world  grown  too  hard  to  bear. 

During  Stoneman  's  raid  1  I  burned  some  personal  pa 
pers.  Molly  constantly  said  to  me,  "  Missis,  listen  to  de 
guns.  Burn  up  everything.  Mrs.  Lyons  says  they  are  sure 
to  come,  and  they'll  put  in  their  newspapers  whatever  you 
write  here,  every  day. ' '  The  guns  did  sound  very  near,  and 
when  Mrs.  Davis  rode  up  and  told  me  that  if  Mr.  Davis 
left  Richmond  I  must  go  with  her,  I  confess  I  lost  my  head. 
So  I  burned  a  part  of  my  journal  but  rewrote  it  afterward 
from  memory — my  implacable  enemy  that  lets  me  forget 
none  of  the  things  I  would.  I  am  weak  with  dates.  I  do 
not  always  worry  to  look  at  the  calendar  and  write  them 
down.  Besides  I  have  not  always  a  calendar  at  hand. 

1  George  S.  Stoneman,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  was  now  a  Major- 
General,  and  Chief  of  Artillery  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  His  raid 
toward  Richmond  in  1863  was  a  memorable  incident  of  the  war. 
After  the  war,  he  became  Governor  of  California. 


239 


XV 

CAMDEN,    S.    C. 

September  10,  1863— November  5,  1863 

AMDEN,  S.  C.,  September  10,  1863.— It  is  a  comfort 
to  turn  from  small  political  jealousies  to  our  grand 
battles — to  Lee  and  Kirby  Smith  after  Council  and 
Convention  squabbles.  Lee  has  proved  to  be  all  that  my 
husband  prophesied  of  him  when  he  was  so  unpopular  and 
when  Joe  Johnston  was  the  great  god  of  war.  The  very 
sound  of  the  word  convention  or  council  is  wearisome.  Not 
that  I  am  quite  ready  for  Richmond  yet.  We  must  look 
after  home  and  plantation  affairs,  which  we  have  sadly 
neglected.  Heaven  help  my  husband  through  the  deep 
waters 

The  wedding  of  Miss  Aiken,  daughter  of  Governor  Ai- 
ken,  the  largest  slave-owner  in  South  Carolina;  Julia  Rut- 
ledge,  one  of  the  bridesmaids;  the  place  Flat  Rock.  We 
could  not  for  a  while  imagine  what  Julia  would  do  for  a 
dress.  My  sister  Kate  remembered  some  muslin  she  had  in 
the  house  for  curtains,  bought  before  the  war,  and  laid 
aside  as  not  needed  now.  The  stuff  was  white  and  thin,  a 
little  coarse,  but  then  we  covered  it  with  no  end  of  beauti 
ful  lace.  It  made  a  charming  dress,  and  how  altogether 
lovely  Julia  looked  in  it!  The  night  of  the  wedding  it 
stormed  as  if  the  world  were  coming  to  an  end — wind,  rain, 
thunder,  and  lightning  in  an  unlimited  supply  around  the 
mountain  cottage. 

The  bride  had  a  duchesse  dressing-table,  muslin  and 
lace;  not  one  of  the  shifts  of  honest,  war-driven  poverty, 

240 


MISS    AIKEN'S    WEDDING 


but  a  millionaire's  attempt  at  appearing  economical,  in  the 
idea  that  that  style  was  in  better  taste  as  placing  the  family 
more  on  the  same  plane  with  their  less  comfortable  compa 
triots.  A  candle  was  left  too  near  this  light  drapery  and 
it  took  fire.  Outside  was  lightning  enough  to  fire  the 
world ;  inside,  the  bridal  chamber  was  ablaze,  and  there  was 
wind  enough  to  blow  the  house  down  the  mountainside. 

The  English  maid  behaved  heroically,  and,  with  the  aid 
of  Mrs.  Aiken's  and  Mrs.  Mat  Singleton's  servants,  put  the 
fire  out  without  disturbing  the  marriage  ceremony,  then  be 
ing  performed  below.  Everything  in  the  bridal  chamber 
was  burned  up  except  the  bed,  and  that  was  a  mass  of  cin 
ders,  soot,  and  flakes  of  charred  and  blackened  wood. 

At  Kingsville  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  our  army.  Long- 
street's  corps  was  going  West.  God  bless  the  gallant  fel 
lows  !  Not  one  man  was  intoxicated ;  not  one  rude  word  did 
I  hear.  It  was  a  strange  sight — one  part  of  it.  There  were 
miles,  apparently,  of  platform  cars,  soldiers  rolled  in  their 
blankets,  lying  in  rows,  heads  all  covered,  fast  asleep.  In 
their  gray  blankets,  packed  in  regular  order,  they  looked 
like  swathed  mummies.  One  man  near  where  I  sat  was 
writing  on  his  knee.  He  used  his  cap  for  a  desk  and  he  was 
seated  on  a  rail.  I  watched  him,  wondering  to  whom  that 
letter  was  to  go — home,  no  doubt.  Sore  hearts  for  him 
there. 

A  feeling  of  awful  depression  laid  hold  of  me.  All  these 
fine  fellows  were  going  to  kill  or  be  killed.  Why?  And  a 
phrase  got  to  beating  about  my  head  like  an  old  song,  ' '  The 
Unreturning  Brave."  When  a  knot  of  boyish,  laughing, 
young  creatures  passed  me,  a  queer  thrill  of  sympathy 
shook  me.  Ah,  I  know  how  your  home-folks  feel,  poor  chil 
dren!  Once,  last  winter,  persons  came  to  us  in  Camden 
with  such  strange  stories  of  Captain  -  — ,  Morgan's  man; 
stories  of  his  father,  too ;  turf  tales  and  murder,  or,  at  least, 
how  he  killed  people.  He  had  been  a  tremendous  favorite 
with  my  husband,  who  brought  him  in  once,  leading  him 

241 


Sept.  10,  1863  CAMDEN,  «S.     C.  Nov.  5,  1863 

by  the  hand.  Afterward  he  said  to  me,  "  With  these  girls 
in  the  house  we  must  be  more  cautious."  I  agreed  to 

be  coldly  polite  to .  "  After  all,"  I  said,  "  I  barely 

know  him." 

When  he  called  afterward  in  Richmond  I  was  very  glad 
to  see  him,  utterly  forgetting  that  he  was  under  a  ban.  We 
had  a  long,  confidential  talk.  He  told  me  of  his  wife  and 
children ;  of  his  army  career,  and  told  Morgan  stories.  He 
grew  more  and  more  cordial  and  so  did  I.  He  thanked  me 
for  the  kind  reception  given  him  in  that  house;  told  me  I 
was  a  true  friend  of  his,  and  related  to  me  a  scrape  he  was 
in  which,  if  divulged,  would  ruin  him,  although  he  was  in 
nocent  ;  but  time  would  clear  all  things.  He  begged  me  not 
to  repeat  anything  he  had  told  me  of  his  affairs,  not  even 
to  Colonel  Chesnut ;  which  I  promised  promptly,  and  then 
he  went  away.  I  sat  poking  the  fire  thinking  what  a  cu 
riously  interesting  creature  he  was,  this  famous  Captain 

— ,  when  the  folding-doors  slowly  opened  and  Colonel 
Chesnut  appeared.  He  had  come  home  two  hours  ago  from 
the  War  Office  with  a  headache,  and  had  been  lying  on  the 
sofa  behind  that  folding-door  listening  for  mortal  hours. 

"  So,  this  is  your  style  of  being  *  coldly  polite/  "  he 
said.  Fancy  my  feelings.  "  Indeed,  I  had  forgotten  all 
about  what  they  had  said  of  him.  The  lies  they  told  of 
him  never  once  crossed  my  mind.  He  is  a  great  deal  clev 
erer,  and,  I  dare  say,  just  as  good  as  those  who  malign 
him." 

Mattie  Reedy  (I  knew  her  as  a  handsome  girl  in  Wash 
ington  several  years  ago)  got  tired  of  hearing  Federals 
abusing  John  Morgan.  One  day  they  were  worse  than  ever 
in  their  abuse  and  she  grew  restive.  By  way  of  putting  a 
mark  against  the  name  of  so  rude  a  girl,  the  Yankee  officer 
said,  "  What  is  your  name?  "  "  Write  *  Mattie  Reedy  ' 
now,  but  by  the  grace  of  God  one  day  I  hope  to  call  myself 
the  wife  of  John  Morgan."  She  did  not  know  Morgan, 
but  Morgan  eventually  heard  the  story ;  a  good  joke  it  was 

242 


GENERAL  JOHN  H.  MORGAN'S  WIFE 

said  to  be.  But  he  made  it  a  point  to  find  her  out ;  and,  as 
she  was  as  pretty  as  she  was  patriotic,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
she  is  now  Mrs.  Morgan !  These  timid  Southern  women  un 
der  the  guns  can  be  brave  enough. 

Aunt  Charlotte  has  told  a  story  of  my  dear  mother. 
They  were  up  at  Shelby,  Ala.,  a  white  man's  country, 
where  negroes  are  not  wanted.  The  ladies  had  with  them 
several  negroes  belonging  to  my  uncle  at  whose  house  they 
were  staying  in  the  owner's  absence.  One  negro  man  who 
had  married  and  dwelt  in  a  cabin  was  for  some  cause  partic 
ularly  obnoxious  to  the  neighborhood.  My  aunt  and  my 
mother,  old-fashioned  ladies,  shrinking  from  everything 
outside  their  own  door,  knew  nothing  of  all  this.  They  oc 
cupied  rooms  on  opposite  sides  of  an  open  passage-way. 
Underneath,  the  house  was  open  and  unfinished.  Suddenly, 
one  night,  my  aunt  heard  a  terrible  noise — apparently  as 
of  a  man  running  for  his  life,  pursued  by  men  and  dogs, 
shouting,  hallooing,  barking.  She  had  only  time  to  lock  her 
self  in.  Utterly  cut  off  from  her  sister,  she  sat  down,  dumb 
with  terror,  when  there  began  loud  knocking  at  the  door, 
with  men  swearing,  dogs  tearing  round,  sniffing,  racing  in 
and  out  of  the  passage  and  barking  underneath  the  house 
like  mad.  Aunt  Charlotte  was  sure  she  heard  the  panting 
of  a  negro  as  he  ran  into  the  house  a  few  minutes  before. 
What  could  have  become  of  him?  Where  could  he  have 
hidden?  The  men  shook  the  doors  and  windows,  loudly 
threatening  vengeance.  My  aunt  pitied  her  feeble  sister, 
cut  off  in  the  room  across  the  passage.  This  fright  might 
kill  her ! 

The  cursing  and  shouting  continued  unabated.  A  man 's 
voice,  in  harshest  accents,  made  itself  heard  above  all: 
:t  Leave  my  house,  you  rascals!  "  said  the  voice.  "  If 
you  are  not  gone  in  two  seconds,  I  '11  shoot !  ' '  There  was  a 
dead  silence  except  for  the  noise  of  the  dogs.  Quickly  the 
men  slipped  away.  Once  out  of  gunshot,  they  began  to  call 
their  dogs.  After  it  was  all  over  my  aunt  crept  across  the 

243 


Sept.  10,  1863  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  Nov.  5,  1863 

passage.  "  Sister,  what  man  was  it  scared  them  away?  " 
My  mother  laughed  aloud  in  her  triumph.  "  I  am  the 
man,"  she  said. 

* '  But  where  is  John  ?  ' '  Out  crept  John  from  a  corner 
of  the  room,  where  my  mother  had  thrown  some  rubbish 
over  him.  ' '  Lawd  bless  you,  Miss  Mary  opened  de  do '  for 
me  and  dey  was  right  behind  runnin'  me —  Aunt  says 
mother  was  awfully  proud  of  her  prowess.  And  she 
showed  some  moral  courage,  too ! 

At  the  President's  in  Richmond  once,  General  Lee  was 
there,  and  Constance  and  Hetty  Gary  came  in;  also  Miss 
Sanders  and  others.  Constance  Gary  *  was  telling  some  war 
anecdotes,  among  them  one  of  an  attempt  to  get  up  a  sup 
per  the  night  before  at  some  high  and  mighty  F.  F.  V.'s 
house,  and  of  how  several  gentlefolks  went  into  the  kitchen 
to  prepare  something  to  eat  by  the  light  of  one  forlorn  can 
dle.  One  of  the  men  in  the  party,  not  being  of  a  useful 
temperament,  turned  up  a  tub  and  sat  down  upon  it. 
Custis  Lee,  wishing  also  to  rest,  found  nothing  upon  which 
to  sit  but  a  gridiron. 

One  remembrance  I  kept  of  the  evening  at  the  Presi 
dent's:  General  Lee  bowing  over  the  beautiful  Miss  Gary's 
hands  in  the  passage  outside.  Miss  -  -  rose  to  have  her 
part  in  the  picture,  and  asked  Mr.  Davis  to  walk  with  her 
into  the  adjoining  drawing-room.  He  seemed  surprised, 
but  rose  stiffly,  and,  with  a  scowling  brow,  was  led  off.  As 
they  passed  where  Mrs.  Davis  sat,  Miss  -  — ,  with  all  sail 
set,  looked  back  and  said:  "  Don't  be  jealous,  Mrs.  Davis; 
I  have  an  important  communication  to  make  to  the  Presi 
dent."  Mrs.  Davis 's  amusement  resulted  in  a  significant 
* '  Now !  Did  you  ever  ?  ' ' 

During  Stoneman's  raid,  on  a  Sunday  I  was  in  Mrs. 


1  Miss  Constance  Gary  afterward  married  Burton  Harrison  and  set 
tled  in  New  York  where  she  became  prominent  socially  and  achieved 
reputation  as  a  novelist. 

244 


A   SCENE   IN   CHURCH 


Randolph's  pew.  The  battle  at -Chancellorsyille  was  also 
raging.  The  rattling  of^ammunition  wagons,  the  tramp  of 
soldiers,  the  everlasting  slamming  of  those  iron  gates  of  the 
Capitol  Square  just  opposite  the  church,  made  it  hard  to 
attend  to  the  service. 

Then  began  a  scene  calculated  to  make  the  stoutest  heart 
quail.  The  sexton  would  walk  quietly  up  the  aisle  to  de 
liver  messages  to  worshipers  whose  relatives  had  been 
brought  in  wounded,  dying,  or  dead.  Pale-faced  people 
would  then  follow  him  out.  Finally,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Minne- 
gerode  bent  across  the  chancel-rail  to  the  sexton  for  a  few 
minutes,  whispered  with  the  sexton,  and  then  disappeared. 
The  assistant  clergyman  resumed  the  communion  which 
Mr.  Minnegerode  had  been  administering.  At  the  church 
door  stood  Mrs.  Minnegerode,  as  tragically  wretched  and  as 
wild-looking  as  ever  Mrs.  Siddons  was.  She  managed  to 
say  to  her  husband,  "  Your  son  is  at  the  station,  dead!  " 
When  these  agonized  parents  reached  the  station,  however, 
it  proved  to  be  some  one  else 's  son  who  was  dead — but  a  son 
all  the  same.  Pale  and  wan  came  Mr.  Minnegerode  back  to 
his  place  within  the  altar  rails.  After  the  sacred  commu 
nion  was  over,  some  one  asked  him  what  it  all  meant,  and 
he  said:  "  Oh,  it  was  not  my  son  who  was  killed,  but  it 
came  so  near  it  aches  me  yet !  ' : 

At  home  I  found  L.  Q.  Washington,  who  stayed  to 
dinner.  I  saw  that  he  and  my  husband  were  intently  pre 
occupied  by  some  event  which  they  did  not  see  fit  to  com 
municate  to  me.  Immediately  after  dinner  my  husband 
lent  Mr.  Washington  one  of  his  horses  and  they  rode  off  to 
gether.  I  betook  myself  to  my  kind  neighbors,  the  Pattons, 
for  information.  There  I  found  Colonel  Patton  had  gone, 
too.  Mrs.  Patton,  however,  knew  all  about  the  trouble. 
She  said  there  was  a  raiding  party  within  forty  miles  of  us 
and  no  troops  were  in  Richmond !  They  asked  me  to  stay 
to  tea — those  kind  ladies — and  in  some  way  we  might  learn 
what  was  going  on.  After  tea  we  went  out  to  the  Capitol 

245 


Sept.  10,  1863  CAMDEN,     9.     C.  Nov.  5,  1863 

Square,  Lawrence  and  three  men-servants  going  along  to 
protect  us.  They  seemed  to  be  mustering  in  citizens  by  the 
thousands.  Company  after  company  was  being  formed; 
then  battalions,  and  then  regiments.  It  was  a  wonderful 
sight  to  us,  peering  through  the  iron  railing,  watching  them 
fall  into  ranks. 

Then  we  went  to  the  President's,  finding  the  family  at 
supper.  We  sat  on  the  white  marble  steps,  and  General 
Elzey  told  me  exactly  how  things  stood  and  of  our  imme 
diate  danger.  Pickets  were  coming  in.  Men  were  spurring 
to  and  from  the  door  as  fast  as  they  could  ride,  bringing 
and  carrying  messages  and  orders.  Calmly  General  Elzey 
discoursed  upon  our  present  weakness  and  our  chances  for 
aid.  After  a  while  Mrs.  Davis  came  out  and  embraced  me 
silently. 

"  It  is  dreadful,"  I  said.  "  The  enemy  is  within  forty 
miles  of  us— only  forty!  "  "  Who  told  you  that  tale?  " 
said  she.  "  They  are  within  three  miles  of  Richmond!  " 
I  went  down  on  my  knees  like  a  stone.  '  *  You  had  better  be 
quiet,"  she  said.  "  The  President  is  ill.  Women  and  chil 
dren  must  not  add  to  the  trouble."  She  asked  me  to  stay 
all  night,  which  I  was  thankful  to  do. 

We  sat  up.  Officers  were  coming  and  going;  and  we 
gave  them  what  refreshment  we  could  from  a  side  table, 
kept  constantly  replenished.  Finally,  in  the  excitement, 
the  constant  state  of  activity  and  change  of  persons,  we  for 
got  the  danger.  Officers  told  us  jolly  stories  and  seemed  in 
fine  spirits,  so  we  gradually  took  heart.  There  was  not  a 
moment 's  rest  for  any  one.  Mrs.  Davis  said  something  more 
amusing  than  ever :  * '  We  look  like  frightened  women  and 
children,  don't  we?  " 

Early  next  morning  the  President  came  down.  He  was 
still  feeble  and  pale  from  illness.  Custis  Lee  and  my  hus 
band  loaded  their  pistols,  and  the  President  drove  off  in 
Dr.  Garnett's  carriage,  my  husband  and  Custis  Lee  on 
horseback  alongside  him.  By  eight  o'clock  the  troops  from 

246 


FEDERALS    ALMOST    IN    RICHMOND 

Petersburg  came  in,  and  the  danger  was  over.  The  author 
ities  will  never  strip  Richmond  of  troops  again.  We  had  a 
narrow  squeeze  for  it,  but  we  escaped.  It  was  a  terrible 
night,  although  we  made  the  best  of  it. 

I  was  walking  on  Franklin  Street  when  I  met  my  hus 
band.  "  Come  with  me  to  the  War  Office  for  a  few  min 
utes,"  said  he,  "  and  then  I  will  go  home  with  you." 
What  could  I  do  but  go  ?  He  took  me  up  a  dark  stairway, 
and  then  down  a  long,  dark  corridor,  and  he  left  me  sitting 
in  a  window,  saying  he  "  would  not  be  gone  a  second  "  ; 
he  was  obliged  to  go  into  the  Secretary  of  War's  room. 
There  I  sat  mortal  hours.  Men  came  to  light  the  gas. 
From  the  first  I  put  down  my  veil  so  that  nobody  might 
know  me.  Numbers  of  persons  passed  that  I  knew,  but  I 
scarcely  felt  respectable  seated  up  there  in  that  odd  way, 
so  I  said  not  a  word  but  looked  out  of  the  window.  Judge 
Campbell  slowly  walked  up  and  down  with  his  hands  be 
hind  his  back — the  saddest  face  I  ever  saw.  He  had  jumped 
down  in  his  patriotism  from  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
U.  S.  A.,  to  be  under-secretary  of  something  or  other — I  do 
not  know  what — C.  S.  A.  No  wonder  he  was  out  of  spirits 
that  night ! 

Finally  Judge  Ould  came ;  him  I  called,  and  he  joined 
me  at  once,  in  no  little  amazement  to  find  me  there,  and 
stayed  with  me  until  James  Chesnut  appeared.  In  point 
of  fact,  I  sent  him  to  look  up  that  stray  member  of  my 
family. 

When  my  husband  came  he  said : ' '  Oh,  Mr.  Seddon  and 
I  got  into  an  argument,  and  time  slipped  away !  The  truth 
is,  I  utterly  forgot  you  were  here."  When  we  were  once 
more  out  in  the  street,  he  began :  ' '  Now,  don 't  scold  me, 
for  there  is  bad  news.  Pemberton  has  been  fighting  the 
Yankees  by  brigades,  and  he  has  been  beaten  every  time; 
and  now  Vicksburg  must  go!  "  I  suppose  that  was  his 
side  of  the  argument  with  Seddon. 

Once  again  I  visited  the  War  Office.    I  went  with  Mrs. 

247 


Sept.  10,  1863  CAMDEN,  "S.     C.  N<».  5,  1863 

Quid  to  see  her  husband  at  his  office.  We  wanted  to  ar 
range  a  party  on  the  river  on  the  flag-of -truce  boat,  and  to 
visit  those  beautiful  places,  Claremont  and  Brandon.  My 
husband  got  into  one  of  his  "  too  careful  "fits;  said  there 
was  risk  in  it ;  and  so  he  upset  all  our  plans.  Then  I  was 
to  go  up  to  John  Rutherford's  by  the  canal-boat.  That,  too, 
he  vetoed  "  too  risky,"  as  if  anybody  was  going  to  trouble 
us! 

October  24th. — James  Chesnut  is  at  home  on  his  way 
back  to  Richmond;  had  been  sent  by  the  President  to 
make  the  rounds  of  the  Western  armies;  says  Polk  is  a 
splendid  old  fellow.  They  accuse  him  of  having  been 
asleep  in  his  tent  at  seven  o'clock  when  he  was  ordered  to 
attack  at  daylight,  but  he  has  too  good  a  conscience  to  sleep 
so  soundly. 

The  battle  did  not  begin  until  eleven  at  Chickamauga  1 
when  Bragg  had  ordered  the  advance  at  daylight.  Bragg 
and  his  generals  do  not  agree.  I  think  a  general  worthless 
whose  subalterns  quarrel  with  him.  Something  is  wrong 
about  the  man.  Good  generals  are  adored  by  their  soldiers. 
See  Napoleon,  Ca?sar,  Stonewall,  Lee. 

Old  Sam  (Hood)  received  his  orders  to  hold  a  certain 
bridge  against  the  enemy,  and  he  had  already  driven  the 
enemy  several  miles  beyond  it,  when  the  slow  generals  were 
still  asleep.  Hood  has  won  a  victory,  though  he  has  only 
one  leg  to  stand  on. 

Mr.  Chesnut  was  with  the  President  when  he  reviewed 
our  army  under  the  enemy's  guns  before  Chattanooga.  He 
told  Mr.  Davis  that  every  honest  man  he  saw  out  West 
thought  well  of  Joe  Johnston.  He  knows  that  the  President 
detests  Joe  Johnston  for  all  the  trouble  he  has  given  him, 

1  The  battle  of  Chickamauga  was  fought  on  the  river  of  the  same 
name,  near  Chattanooga,  September  19  and  20,  1863.  The  Confederates 
were  commanded  by  Bragg  and  the  Federals  by  Rosecrans.  It  was 
one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the  war  ;  the  loss  on  each  side,  including 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  was  over  15,000. 

248 


JOE   JOHNSTON'S   MAGNETISM 


and  General  Joe  returns  the  compliment  with  compound 
interest.  His  hatred  of  Jeff  Davis  amounts  to  a  religion. 
With  him  it  colors  all  things. 

Joe  Johnston  advancing,  or  retreating,  I  may  say  with 
more  truth,  is  magnetic.  He  does  draw  the  good-will  of 
those  by  whom  he  is  surrounded.  Being  such  a  good  hater, 
it  is  a  pity  he  had  not  elected  to  hate  somebody  else  than 
the  President  of  our  country.  He  hates  not  wisely  but  too 
well.  Our  friend  Breckinridge  1  received  Mr.  Chesnut  with 
open  arms.  There  is  nothing  narrow,  nothing  self-seeking, 
about  Breckinridge.  He  has  not  mounted  a  pair  of  green 
spectacles  made  of  prejudices  so  that  he  sees  no  good  ex 
cept  in  his  own  red-hot  partizans. 

October  27tli. — Young  Wade  Hampton  has  been  here 
for  a  few  days,  a  guest  of  our  nearest  neighbor  and  cousin, 
Phil  Stockton.  Wade,  without  being  the  beauty  or  the  ath 
lete  that  his  brother  Preston  is,  is  such  a  nice  boy.  We  lent 
him  horses,  and  ended  by  giving  him  a  small  party.  What 
was  lacking  in  company  was  made  up  for  by  the  excellence 
of  old  Colonel  Chesnut 's  ancient  Madeira  and  champagne. 
If  everything  in  the  Confederacy  were  only  as  truly  good 
as  the  old  Colonel 's  wine-cellars !  Then  we  had  a  salad  and 
a  jelly  cake. 

General  Joe  Johnston  is  so  careful  of  his  aides  that 
Wade  has  never  yet  seen  a  battle.  Says  he  has  always  hap 
pened  to  be  sent  afar  off  when  the  fighting  came.  He  does 
not  seem  too  grateful  for  this,  and  means  to  be  transferred 
to  his  father 's  command.  He  says,  * '  No  man  exposes  him 
self  more  recklessly  to  danger  than  General  Johnston,  and 
no  one  strives  harder  to  keep  others  out  of  it."  But  the 
business  of  this  war  is  to  save  the  country,  and  a  commander 
must  risk  his  men 's  lives  to  do  it.  There  is  a  French  saying 


1  John  C.  Breckinridge  had  been  Vice-President  of  the  United  States 
under  Buchanan  and  was  the  candidate  of  the  Southern  Democrats  for 
President  in  1860.  He  joined  the  Confederate  Army  in  1861. 

249 


Sept.  10,  1863  CAMDEN,    S.     C.  Nov.  5,  1863 

that  you  can't  make  an  omelet  unless  you  are  willing  to 
break  eggs. 

November  5th. — For  a  week  we  have  had  such  a  tran 
quil,  happy  time  here.  Both  my  husband  and  Johnny  are 
here  still.  James  Chesnut  spent  his  time  sauntering  around 
with  his  father,  or  stretched  on  the  rug  before  my  fire  read 
ing  Vanity  Fair  and  Pendennis.  By  good  luck  he  had  not 
read  them  before.  We  have  kept  Esmond  for  the  last.  He 
owns  that  he  is  having  a  good  time.  Johnny  is  happy,  too. 
He  does  not  care  for  books.  He  will  read  a  novel  now  and 
then,  if  the  girls  continue  to  talk  of  it  before  him.  Nothing 
else  whatever  in  the  way  of  literature  does  he  touch.  He 
comes  pulling  his  long  blond  mustache  irresolutely  as  if 
he  hoped  to  be  advised  not  to  read  it — "  Aunt  Mary,  shall 
I  like  this  thing  ?  ' :  I  do  not  think  he  has  an  idea  what  we 
are  fighting  about,  and  he  does  not  want  to  know.  He  says, 
* '  My  company, "  ' '  My  men, ' '  with  a  pride,  a  faith,  and  an 
affection  which  are  sublime.  He  came  into  his  inheritance 
at  twenty-one  (just  as  the  war  began),  and  it  was  a  goodly 
one,  fine  old  houses  and  an  estate  to  match. 

Yesterday,  Johnny  went  to  his  plantation  for  the  first 
time  since  the  war  began.  John  Witherspoon  went  with 
him,  and  reports  in  this  way :  l  How  do  you  do,  Mars- 
ter !  How  you  come  on  ?  ' ;  — thus  from  every  side  rang  the 
noisiest  welcome  from  the  darkies.  Johnny  was  silently 
shaking  black  hands  right  and  left  as  he  rode  into  the 
crowd. 

As  the  noise  subsided,  to  the  overseer  he  said :  ' '  Send 
down  more  corn  and  fodder  for  my  horses."  And  to  the 
driver,  "  Have  you  any  peas?  ''  "  Plenty,  sir."  "  Send 
a  wagon-load  down  for  the  cows  at  Bloomsbury  while  I 
stay  there.  They  have  not  milk  and  butter  enough  there 
for  me.  Any  eggs?  Send  down  all  you  can  collect.  How 
about  my  turkeys  and  ducks?  Send  them  down  two  at  a 
time.  How  about  the  mutton?  Fat?  That's  good;  send 
down  two  a  week." 

250 


A    PICNIC    AT    MULBERRY 


As  they  rode  home,  John  Witherspoon  remarked,  "  I 
was  surprised  that  you  did  not  go  into  the  fields  to  see  your 
crops."  "  What  was  the  use?  "  "  And  the  negroes;  you 
had  so  little  talk  with  them." 

' '  No  use  to  talk  to  them  before  the  overseer.  They  are 
coming  down  to  Bloomsbury,  day  and  night,  by  platoons 
and  they  talk  me  dead.  Besides,  William  and  Parish  go  up 
there  every  night,  and  God  knows  they  tell  me  enough  plan 
tation  scandal — overseer  feathering  his  nest ;  negroes  ditto 
at  my  expense.  Between  the  two  fires  I  mean  to  get  some 
thing  to  eat  while  I  am  here. ' ' 

For  him  we  got  up  a  charming  picnic  at  Mulberry. 
Everything  was  propitious — the  most  perfect  of  days  and 
the  old  place  in  great  beauty.  Those  large  rooms  were  de 
lightful  for  dancing;  we  had  as  good  a  dinner  as  mortal 
appetite  could  crave;  the  best  fish,  fowl,  and  game;  wine 
from  a  cellar  that  can  not  be  excelled.  In  spite  of  blockade 
Mulberry  does  the  honors  nobly  yet.  Mrs.  Edward  Stock 
ton  drove  down  with  me.  She  helped  me  with  her  taste  and 
tact  in  arranging  things.  We  had  no  trouble,  however. 
All  of  the  old  servants  who  have  not  been  moved  to  Blooms- 
bury  scented  the  prey  from  afar,  and  they  literally  flocked 
in  and  made  themselves  useful. 


18  251 


XVI 

RICHMOND,    VA. 

November  28,  1863— April  11,  1864 

ICHMOND,  Va.,  November  28,  1863.— Our  pleasant 
home  sojourn  was  soon  broken  up.  Johnny  had  to 
go  back  to  Company  A,  and  my  husband  was  or 
dered  by  the  President  to  make  a  second  visit  to  Bragg 's 
Army.1 

So  we  came  on  here  where  the  Prestons  had  taken  apart 
ments  for  me.  Molly  was  with  me.  Adam  Team,  the  over 
seer,  with  Isaac  McLaughlin's  help,  came  with  us  to  take 
charge  of  the  eight  huge  boxes  of  provisions  I  brought  from 
home.  Isaac,  Molly's  husband,  is  a  servant  of  ours,  the  only 
one  my  husband  ever  bought  in  his  life.  Isaac's  wife  be 
longed  to  Rev.  Thomas  Davis,  and  Isaac  to  somebody  else. 
The  owner  of  Isaac  was  about  to  go  West,  and  Isaac  was 
distracted.  They  asked  one  thousand  dollars  for  him.  He 
is  a  huge  creature,  really  a  magnificent  specimen  of  a  col 
ored  gentleman.  His  occupation  had  been  that  of  a  stage- 
driver.  Now,  he  is  a  carpenter,  or  will  be  some  day.  He  is 
awfully  grateful  to  us  for  buying  him ;  is  really  devoted  to 
his  wife  and  children,  though  he  has  a  strange  way  of  show 
ing  it,  for  he  has  a  mistress,  en  titre,  as  the  French  say, 
which  fact  Molly  never  failed  to  grumble  about  as  soon  as 
his  back  was  turned.  u  Great  big  good-for-nothing  thing 
come  a-whimpering  to  marster  to  buy  him  for  his  wife's 


1  Braxton  Bragg  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  had  won  dis- 
r_    tinction  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 

252 


COLORED    SERVANTS 


sake,  and  all  the  time  he  an—"  "  Oh,  Molly,  stop  that!  " 
said  I. 

Mr.  Davis  visited  Charleston  and  had  an  enthusiastic 
reception.  He  described  it  all  to  General  Preston.  Gov 
ernor  Aiken's  perfect  old  Carolina  style  of  living  delighted 
him.  Those  old  gray-haired  darkies  and  their  noiseless,  au 
tomatic  service,  the  result  of  finished  training — one  does 
miss  that  sort  of  thing  when  away  from  home,  where  your 
own  servants  think  for  you ;  they  know  your  ways  and  your 
wants;  they  save  you  all  responsibility  even  in  matters  of 
your  own  ease  and  well  doing.  The  butler  at  Mulberry 
would  be  miserable  and  feel  himself  a  ridiculous  failure 
were  I  ever  forced  to  ask  him  for  anything. 

November  30th. — I  must  describe  an  adventure  I  had  in 
Kingsville.  Of  course,  I  know  nothing  of  children :  in  point 
of  fact,  am  awfully  afraid  of  them. 

Mrs.  Edward  Barnwell  came  with  us  from  Camden. 
She  had  a  magnificent  boy  two  years  old.  Now  don't  ex 
pect  me  to  reduce  that  adjective,  for  this  little  creature  is 
a  wonder  of  childlike  beauty,  health,  and  strength.  Why 
not  ?  If  like  produces  like,  and  with  such  a  handsome  pair 
to  claim  as  father  and  mother !  The  boy 's  eyes  alone  would 
make  any  girl's  fortune. 

At  first  he  made  himself  very  agreeable,  repeating  nur 
sery  rhymes  and  singing.  Then  something  went  wrong. 
Suddenly  he  changed  to  a  little  fiend,  fought  and  kicked 
and  scratched  like  a  tiger.  He  did  everything  that  was 
naughty,  and  he  did  it  with  a  will  as  if  he  liked  it,  while  his 
lovely  mamma,  with  flushed  cheeks  and  streaming  eyes, 
was  imploring  him  to  be  a  good  boy. 

When  we  stopped  at  Kingsville,  I  got  out  first,  then 
Mrs.  Barnwell 's  nurse,  who  put  the  little  man  down  by  me. 
* '  Look  after  him  a  moment,  please,  ma  'am, ' '  she  said.  *  *  I 
must  help  Mrs.  Barnwell  with  the  bundles, ' '  etc.  She 
stepped  hastily  back  and  the  cars  moved  off.  They  ran 
down  a  half  mile  to  turn.  I  trembled  in  my  shoes.  This 

253 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,  •  VA.  April  11,  1864 

child!  No  man  could  ever  frighten  me  so.  If  he  should 
choose  to  be  bad  again!  It  seemed  an  eternity  while  I 
waited  for  that  train  to  turn  and  come  back  again.  My  lit 
tle  charge  took  things  quietly.  For  me  he  had  a  perfect  con 
tempt,  no  fear  whatever.  And  I  was  his  abject  slave  for 
the  nonce. 

He  stretched  himself  out  lazily  at  full  length.  Then  he 
pointed  downward.  "  Those  are  great  legs,"  said  he  sol 
emnly,  looking  at  his  own.  I  immediately  joined  him  in  ad 
miring  them  enthusiastically.  Near  him  he  spied  a  bundle. 
' '  Pussy  cat  tied  up  in  that  bundle. ' '  He  was  up  in  a  sec 
ond  and  pounced  upon  it.  If  we  were  to  be  taken  up  as 
thieves,  no  matter,  I  dared  not  meddle  with  that  child.  I 
had  seen  what  he  could  do.  There  were  several  cooked 
sweet  potatoes  tied  up  in  an  old  handkerchief — belonging 
to  some  negro  probably.  He  squared  himself  off  comfort 
ably,  broke  one  in  half  and  began  to  eat.  Evidently  he  had 
found  what  he  was  fond  of.  In  this  posture  Mrs.  Barnwell 
discovered  us.  She  came  with  comic  dismay  in  every  fea 
ture,  not  knowing  what  our  relations  might  be,  and  whether 
or  not  we  had  undertaken  to  fight  it  out  alone  as  best  we 
might.  The  old  nurse  cried,  "  Lawsy  me!  "  with  both 
hands  uplifted.  Without  a  word  I  fled.  In  another  mo 
ment  the  Wilmington  train  would  have  left  me.  She  was 
going  to  Columbia. 

We  broke  down  only  once  between  Kingsville  and  Wil 
mington,  but  between  Wilmington  and  Weldon  we  con 
trived  to  do  the  thing  so  effectually  as  to  have  to  remain 
twelve  hours  at  that  forlorn  station. 

The  one  room  that  I  saw  was  crowded  with  soldiers. 
Adam  Team  succeeded  in  securing  two  chairs  for  me, 
upon  one  of  which  I  sat  and  put  my  feet  on  the  other. 
Molly  sat  flat  on  the  floor,  resting  her  head  against  my  chair. 
I  woke  cold  and  cramped.  An  officer,  who  did  not  give  his 
name;  but  said  he  was  from  Louisiana,  came  up  and  urg^d 
me  to  go  near  the  fire.  He  gave  me  his  seat  by  the  fire, 

254 


BY    RAIL    TO    RICHMOND 


where  I  found  an  old  lady  and  two  young  ones,  with  two 
men  in  the  uniform  of  common  soldiers. 

We  talked  as  easily  to  each  other  all  night  as  if  we  had 
known  one  another  all  our  lives.  We  discussed  the  war,  the 
army,  the  news  of  the  day.  No  questions  were  asked,  no 
names  given,  no  personal  discourse  whatever,  and  yet  if 
these  men  and  women  were  not  gentry,  and  of  the  best  sort, 
I  do  not  know  ladies  and  gentlemen  when  I  see  them. 

Being  a  little  surprised  at  the  want  of  interest  Mr. 
Team  and  Isaac  showed  in  my  well-doing,  I  walked  out  to 
see,  and  I  found  them  working  like  beavers.  They  had  been 
at  it  all  night.  In  the  break-down  my  boxes  were  smashed. 
They  had  first  gathered  up  the  contents  and  were  trying 
to  hammer  up  the  boxes  so  as  to  make  them  once  more  avail 
able. 

At  Petersburg  a  smartly  dressed  woman  came  in,  looked 
around  in  the  crowd,  then  asked  for  the  seat  by  me.  Now 
Molly's  seat  was  paid  for  the  same  as  mine,  but  she  got  up 
at  once,  gave  the  lady  her  seat  and  stood  behind  me.  I  am 
sure  Molly  believes  herself  my  body-guard  as  well  as  my 
servant. 

The  lady  then  having  arranged  herself  comfortably  in 
Molly's  seat  began  in  plaintive  accents  to  tell  her  melan 
choly  tale.  She  was  a  widow.  She  lost  her  husband  in  the 
battles  around  Richmond.  Soon  some  one  went  out  and  a 
man  offered  her  the  vacant  seat.  Straight  as  an  arrow  she 
went  in  for  a  flirtation  with  the  polite  gentleman.  Another 
person,  a  perfect  stranger,  said  to  me,  ' '  Well,  look  yonder. 
As  soon  as  she  began  whining  about  her  dead  beau  I  knew 
she  was  after  another  one."  "  Beau,  indeed!  "  cried  an 
other  listener,  ' '  she  said  it  was  her  husband. "  "  Husband 
or  lover,  all  the  same.  She  won't  lose  any  time.  It  won't 
be  her  fault  if  she  doesn't  have  another  one  soon." 

But  the  grand  scene  was  the  night  before:  the  cars 
crowded  with  soldiers,  of  course ;  not  a  human  being  that  I 
knew.  An  Irish  woman,  so  announced  by  her  brogue,  came 

255 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

in.  She  marched  up  and  down  the  car,  loudly  lamenting 
the  want  of  gallantry  in  the  men  who  would  not  make  way 
for  her.  Two  men  got  up  and  gave  her  their  seats,  saying 
it  did  not  matter,  they  were  going  to  get  out  at  the  next 
stopping-place. 

She  was  gifted  with  the  most  pronounced  brogue  I  ever 
heard,  and  she  gave  us  a  taste  of  it.  She  continued  to  say 
that  the  men  ought  all  to  get  out  of  that;  that  car  was 
"  shuteable  "  only  for  ladies.  She  placed  on  the  vacant 
seat  next  to  her  a  large  looking-glass.  She  continued  to  ha 
rangue  until  she  fell  asleep. 

A  tired  soldier  coming  in,  seeing  what  he  supposed  to 
be  an  empty  seat,  quietly  slipped  into  it.  Crash  went  the 
glass.  The  soldier  groaned,  the  Irish  woman  shrieked.  The 
man  was  badly  cut  by  the  broken  glass.  She  was  simply  a 
mad  woman.  She  shook  her  fist  in  his  face ;  said  she  was  a 
lone  woman  and  he  had  got  into  that  seat  for  no  good  pur 
pose.  How  did  he  dare  to? — etc.  I  do  not  think  the  man 
uttered  a  word.  The  conductor  took  him  into  another  car 
to  have  the  pieces  of  glass  picked  out  of  his  clothes,  and  she 
continued  to  rave.  Mr.  Team  shouted  aloud,  and  laughed 
as  if  he  were  in  the  Hermitage  Swamp.  The  woman's  un 
reasonable  wrath  and  absurd  accusations  were  comic,  no 
doubt. 

Soon  the  car  was  silent  and  I  fell  into  a  comfortable 
doze.  I  felt  Molly  give  me  a  gentle  shake.  '  Listen,  Mis 
sis,  how  loud  Mars  Adam  Team  is  talking,  and  all  about  ole 
marster  and  our  business,  and  to  strangers.  It 's  a  shame. ' ' 
"  Is  he  saying  any  harm  of  us?  "  "  No,  ma'am,  not  that. 
He  is  bragging  for  dear  life  'bout  how  ole  ole  marster  is 
and  how  rich  he  is,  an'  all  that.  I  gwine  tell  him  stop."  Up 
started  Molly.  "  Mars  Adam,  Missis  say  please  don't  talk 
so  loud.  When  people  travel  they  don't  do  that  a  way." 

Mr.  Preston's  man,  Hal,  was  waiting  at  the  depot  with  a 
carriage  to  take  me  to  my  Richmond  house.  Mary  Preston 
had  rented  these  apartments  for  me. 

256 


NO    MORE    FESTIVITIES 


I  found  my  dear  girls  there  with  a  nice  fire.  Everything 
looked  so  pleasant  and  inviting  to  the  weary  traveler.  Mrs. 
Grundy,  who  occupies  the  lower  floor,  sent  me  such  a  real 
Virginia  tea,  hot  cakes,  and  rolls.  Think  of  living  in  the 
house  with  Mrs.  Grundy,  and  having  no  fear  of  * '  what  Mrs. 
Grundy  will  say. ' ' 

My  husband  has  come ;  he  likes  the  house,  Grundy 's,  and 
everything.  Already  he  has  bought  Grundy 's  horses  for 
sixteen  hundred  Confederate  dollars  cash.  He  is  nearer  to 
being  contented  and  happy  than  I  ever  saw  him.  He  has 
not  established  a  grievance  yet,  but  I  am  on  the  lookout 
daily.  He  will  soon  find  out  whatever  there  is  wrong  about 
Gary  Street. 

I  gave  a  party;  Mrs.  Davis  very  witty;  Preston  girls 
very  handsome ;  Isabella 's  fun  fast  and  furious.  No  party 
could  have  gone  off  more  successfully,  but  my  husband  de 
cides  we  are  to  have  no  more  festivities.  This  is  not  the 
time  or  the  place  for  such  gaieties. 

Maria  Freeland  is  perfectly  delightful  on  the  subject 
of  her  wedding.  She  is  ready  to  the  last  piece  of  lace,  but 
her  hard-hearted  father  says  "  No."  She  adores  John 
Lewis.  That  goes  without  saying.  She  does  not  pretend, 
however,  to  be  as  much  in  love  as  Mary  Preston.  In  point 
of  fact,  she  never  saw  any  one  before  who  was.  But  she  is 
as  much  in  love  as  she  can  be  with  a  man  who,  though  he  is 
not  very  handsome,  is  as  eligible  a  match  as  a  girl  could 
make.  He  is  all  that  heart  could  wish,  and  he  comes  of 
such  a  handsome  family.  His  mother,  Esther  Maria  Coxe, 
was  the  beauty  of  a  century,  and  his  father  was  a  nephew 
of  General  Washington.  For  all  that,  he  is  far  better  look 
ing  than  John  Darby  or  Mr.  Miles.  She  always  intended  to 
marry  better  than  Mary  Preston  or  Bettie  Bierne. 

Lucy  Haxall  is  positively  engaged  to  Captain  Coffey, 
an  Englishman.  She  is  convinced  that  she  will  marry  him. 
He  is  her  first  fancy. 

Mr.  Venable,  of  Lee's  staff,  was  at  our  party,  so  out  of 

257 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMONET,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

spirits.  He  knows  everything  that  is  going  on.  His  de 
pression  bodes  us  no  good.  To-day,  General  Hampton  sent 
James  Chesnut  a  fine  saddle  that  he  had  captured  from  the 
Yankees  in  battle  array. 

Mrs.  Scotch  Allan  (Edgar  Allan  Poe's  patron's  wife) 
sent  me  ice-cream  and  lady-cheek  apples  from  her  farm. 
John  R.  Thompson,1  the  sole  literary  fellow  I  know  in 
Richmond,  sent  me  Leisure  Hours  in  Town,  by  A  Country 
Parson. 

My  husband  says  he  hopes  I  will  be  contented  because 
he  came  here  this  winter  to  please  me.  If  I  could  have  been 
satisfied  at  home  he  would  have  resigned  his  aide-de-camp- 
ship  and  gone  into  some  service  in  South  Carolina.  I  am  a 
good  excuse,  if  good  for  nothing  else. 

Old  tempestuous  Keitt  breakfasted  with  us  yesterday. 
I  wish  I  could  remember  half  the  brilliant  things  he  said. 
My  husband  has  now  gone  with  him  to  the  War  Office. 
Colonel  Keitt  thinks  it  is  time  he  was  promoted.  He  wants 
to  be  a  brigadier. 

Now,  Charleston  is  bombarded  night  and  day.    It  fairly 

makes  me  dizzy  to  think  of  that  everlasting  racket  they  are 

beating  about  people's  ears  down  there.    Bragg  defeated, 

and  separated  from  Longstreet.     It  is  a  long  street  that 

:nows  no  turning,  and  Rosecrans  is  not  taken  after  all. 

November  30th. — Anxiety  pervades.  Lee  is  fighting 
[eade.  Misery  is  everywhere.  Bragg  is  falling  back  be 
fore  Grant.2  Longstreet,  the  soldiers  call  him  Peter  the 
Slow,  is  settling  down  before  Knoxville. 

1  John  R.  Thompson  was  a  native  of  Richmond  and  in  1847  became 
editor  of  the  Southern  Literary  Messenger.     Under  his  direction,  that 
periodical   acquired    commanding  influence.     Mr.  Thompson's  health 
failed  afterward.     During  the  war  he  spent  a  part  of  his  time  in  Rich 
mond  and  a  part  in  Europe.     He  afterward  settled  in  New  York  and 
became  literary  editor  of  the  Evening  Post. 

2  The  siege  of  Chattanooga,  which  had  been  begun  on  September 
21st,  closed  late  in  November,  1863,  the  final  engagements  beginning 

258 


LEE   AND   MEADE 


General  Lee  requires  us  to  answer  every  letter,  said  Mr. 
Venable,  and  to  do  our  best  to  console  the  poor  creatures 
whose  husbands  and  sons  are  fighting  the  battles  of  the 
country. 

December  2d. — Bragg  begs  to  be  relieved  of  his  com 
mand.  The  army  will  be  relieved  to  get  rid  of  him.  He 
has  a  winning  way  of  earning  everybody's  detestation. 
Heavens,  how  they  hate  him !  The  rapid  flight  of  his  army 
terminated  at  Ringgold.  Hardie  declines  even  a  temporary 
command  of  the  Western  army.  Preston  Johnston  has  been 
sent  out  post-haste  at  a  moment's  warning.  He  was  not 
even  allowed  time  to  go  home  and  tell  his  wife  good-by  or, 
as  Browne,  the  Englishman,  said,  '  *  to  put  a  clean  shirt  into 
his  traveling  bag."  Lee  and  Meade  are  facing  each  other 
gallantly.1 

The  first  of  December  we  went  with  a  party  of  Mrs. 
Quid's  getting  up,  to  see  a  French  frigate  which  lay  at 
anchor  down  the  river.  The  French  officers  came  on  board 
our  boat.  The  Lees  were  aboard.  The  French  officers  were 
not  in  the  least  attractive  either  in  manners  or  appearance, 
but  our  ladies  were  most  attentive  and  some  showered  bad 
French  upon  them  with  a  lavish  hand,  always  accompanied 
by  queer  grimaces  to  eke  out  the  scanty  supply  of  French 
words,  the  sentences  ending  usually  in  a  nervous  shriek. 
"  Are  they  deaf?  "  asked  Mrs.  Randolph. 

on  November  23d,  and  ending  on  November  25th.  Lookout  Moun 
tain  and  Missionary  Ridge  were  the  closing  incidents  of  the  siege. 
Grant,  Sherman,  and  Hooker  were  conspicuous  on  the  Federal  side  and 
Bragg  and  Longstreet  on  the  Confederate. 

1  Following  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  on  July  1st,  2d,  and  3d,  ofj 
this  year,  there  had  occurred  in  Virginia  between  Lee  and  Meade/ 
engagements  at  Bristoe's  Station,  Kelly's  Ford,  and  Rappahannockj 
Station,  the  latter  engagement  taking  place  on  November  7th.  The 
author  doubtless  refers  here  to  the  positions  of  Lee  and  Meade  at  Mine 
Run,  December  1st.  December  2d  Meade  abandoned  his,  because  (as 
he  is  reported  to  have  said)  it  would  have  cost  him  30,000  men  to  carry 
Lee's  breastworks,  and  he  shrank  from  ordering  such  slaughter. 

259 


Nw.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

The  French  frigate  was  a  dirty  little  thing.  Doctor 
Garnett  was  so  buoyed  up  with  hope  that  the  French  were 
coming  to  our  rescue,  that  he  would  not  let  me  say  "  an 
English  man-of-war  is  the  cleanest  thing  known  in  the 

world. "     Captain  said  to  Mary  Lee,  with  a  foreign 

contortion  of  countenance,  that  went  for  a  smile,  "  I's 
bashlor. "  Judge  Ould  said,  as  we  went  to  dinner  on  our 
own  steamer,  "  They  will  not  drink  our  President's  health. 
They  do  not  acknowledge  us  to  be  a  nation.  Mind,  none 
of  you  say  *  Emperor,'  not  once."  Doctor  Garnett  inter 
preted  the  laws  of  politeness  otherwise,  and  stepped  for 
ward,  his  mouth  fairly  distended  with  so  much  French,  and 
said:  "  Vieff  1'Emperor."  Young  Gibson  seconded  him 
quietly,  "A  la  sante  de  I'Empereur."  But  silence  pre 
vailed.  Preston  Hampton  was  the  handsomest  man  on 
board — ' '  the  figure  of  Hercules,  the  face  of  Apollo, ' '  cried 
an  enthusiastic  girl.  Preston  was  as  lazy  and  as  sleepy  as 
ever.  He  said  of  the  Frenchmen :  * '  They  can 't  help  not 
being  good-looking,  but  with  all  the  world  open  to  them,  to 
wear  such  shabby  clothes !  ' : 

The  lieutenant's  name  was  Rousseau.  On  the  French 
frigate,  lying  on  one  of  the  tables  was  a  volume  of  Jean 
Jacques  Rousseau's  works,  side  by  side,  strange  to  say,  with 
a  map  of  South  Carolina.  This  lieutenant  was  courteously 
asked  by  Mary  Lee  to  select  some  lady  to  whom  she  might 
introduce  him.  He  answered:  "  I  shuse  you,"  with  a  bow 
that  was  a  benediction  and  a  prayer. 

And  now  I  am  in  a  fine  condition  for  Hetty  Gary's  star 
vation  party,  where  they  will  give  thirty  dollars  for  the 
music  and  not  a  cent  for  a  morsel  to  eat.  Preston  said  con 
tentedly,  ' '  I  hate  dancing,  and  I  hate  cold  water ;  so  I  will 
eschew  the  festivity  to-night." 

Found  John  R.  Thompson  at  our  house  when  I  got  home 
so  tired  to-night.  He  brought  me  the  last  number  of  the 
Cornhill.  He  knew  how  much  I  was  interested  in  Trol- 
lope's  story,  Framley  Parsonage. 

260 


STONEWALL    JACKSON'S    WAYS 

December  4th. — My  husband  bought  yesterday  at  the 
Commissary's  one  barrel  of  flour,  one  bushel  of  potatoes, 
one  peck  of  rice,  five  pounds  of  salt  beef,  and  one  peck  of 
salt — all  for  sixty  dollars.  In  the  street  a  barrel  of  flour 
sells  for  one  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars. 

December  5th. — Wigfall  was  here  last  night.  He  began 
by  wanting  to  hang  Jeff  Davis.  My  husband  managed  him 
beautifully.  He  soon  ceased  to  talk  virulent  nonsense,  and 
calmed  down  to  his  usual  strong  common  sense.  I  knew  it 
was  quite  late,  but  I  had  no  idea  of  the  hour.  My  husband 
beckoned  me  out.  "It  is  all  your  fault,"  said  he. 
* '  What  ?  ' "  ' '  Why  will  you  persist  in  looking  so  interested 
in  all  Wigfall  is  saying?  Don't  let  him  catch  your  eye. 
Look  into  the  fire.  Did  you  not  hear  it  strike  two  ?  ' ' 

This  attack  was  so  sudden,  so  violent,  so  unlocked  for, 
I  could  only  laugh  hysterically.  However,  as  an  obedient 
wife,  I  went  back,  gravely  took  my  seat  and  looked  into  the 
fire.  I  did  not  even  dare  raise  my  eyes  to  see  what  my  hus 
band  was  doing — if  he,  too,  looked  into  the  fire.  Wigfall 
soon  tired  of  so  tame  an  audience  and  took  his  departure. 

General  Lawton  was  here.  He  was  one  of  Stonewall 's 
generals.  So  I  listened  with  all  my  ears  when  he  said: 
' '  Stonewall  could  not  sleep.  So,  every  two  or  three  nights 
you  were  waked  up  by  orders  to  have  your  brigade  in 
marching  order  before  daylight  and  report  in  person  to  the 
Commander.  Then  you  were  marched  a  few  miles  out  and 
then  a  few  miles  in  again.  All  this  was  to  make  us  ready, 
ever  on  the  alert.  And  the  end  of  it  was  this:  Jackson's 
men  would  go  half  a  day's  march  before  Peter  Longstreet 
waked  and  breakfasted.  I  think  there  is  a  popular  delusion 
about  the  amount  of  praying  he  did.  He  certainly  pre 
ferred  a  fight  on  Sunday  to  a  sermon.  Failing  to  manage 
a  fight,  he  loved  best  a  long  Presbyterian  sermon,  Calvin- 
istic  to  the  core. 

'  He  had  shown  small  sympathy  with  human  infirmity. 
He  was  a  one-idea-ed  man.    He  looked  upon  broken-down 

261 


.  28,  1863  RICHMOND",  VA.         A^U  n,  1864 


men  and  stragglers  as  the  same  thing.  He  classed  all  who 
were  weak  and  weary,  who  fainted  by  the  wayside,  as  men 
wanting  in  patriotism.  If  a  man's  face  was  as  white  as 
cotton  and  his  pulse  so  low  you  scarce  could  feel  it,  he 
looked  upon  him  merely  as  an  inefficient  soldier  and  rode 
off  impatiently.  He  was  the  true  type  of  all  great  soldiers. 
Like  the  successful  warriors  of  the  world,  he  did  not  value 
human  life  where  he  had  an  object  to  accomplish.  He 
could  order  men  to  their  death  as  a  matter  of  course.  His 
soldiers  obeyed  him  to  the  death.  Faith  they  had  in  him 
stronger  than  death.  Their  respect  he  commanded.  I 
doubt  if  he  had  so  much  of  their  love  as  is  talked  about 
while  he  was  alive.  Now,  that  they  see  a  few  more  years 
of  Stonewall  would  have  freed  them  from  the  Yankees, 
they  deify  him.  Any  man  is  proud  to  have  been  one  of  the 
famous  Stonewall  brigade.  But,  be  sure,  it  was  bitter  hard 
work  to  keep  up  with  him  as  all  know  who  ever  served  un 
der  him.  He  gave  his  orders  rapidly  and  distinctly  and 
rode  away,  never  allowing  answer  or  remonstrance.  It 
was,  '  Look  there  —  see  that  place  —  take  it  !  '  When  you 
failed  you  were  apt  to  be  put  under  arrest.  When  you  re 
ported  the  place  taken,  he  only  said,  '  Good  !  '  : 

Spent  seventy-five  dollars  to-day  for  a  little  tea  and 
sugar,  and  have  five  hundred  left.  My  husband  's  pay  never 
has  paid  for  the  rent  of  our  lodgings.  He  came  in  with 
dreadful  news  just  now.  I  have  wept  so  often  for  things 
that  never  happened,  I  will  withhold  my  tears  now  for  a 
certainty.  To-day,  a  poor  woman  threw  herself  on  her  dead 
husband's  coffin  and  kissed  it.  She  was  weeping  bitterly. 
So  did  I  in  sympathy. 

My  husband,  as  I  told  him  to-day,  could  see  me  and 
everything  that  he  loved  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered 
without  moving  a  muscle,  if  a  crowd  were  looking  on;  he 
could  have  the  same  gentle  operation  performed  on  himself 
and  make  no  sign.  To  all  of  which  violent  insinuation  he 
answered  in  unmoved  tones:  "  So  would  any  civilized  man. 

262 


HOOD'S    POPULARITY 


Savages,  however — Indians,  at  least — are  more  dignified  in 
that  particular  than  we  are.  Noisy,  fidgety  grief  never 
moves  me  at  all ;  it  annoys  me.  Self-control  is  what  we  all 
need.  You  are  a  miracle  of  sensibility;  self-control  is  what 
you  need. "  "So  you  are  civilized !  "  I  said.  ' '  Some  day  I 
mean  to  be." 

December  9th. — ' '  Come  here,  Mrs.  Chesnut, ' '  said  Mary 
Preston  to-day,  "  they  are  lifting  General  Hood  out  of  his 
carriage,  here,  at  your  door."  Mrs.  Grundy  promptly  had 
him  borne  into  her  drawing-room,  which  was  on  the  first 
floor.  Mary  Preston  and  I  ran  down  and  greeted  him  as 
cheerfully  and  as  cordially  as  if  nothing  had  happened 
since  we  saw  him  standing  before  us  a  year  ago.  How  he 
was  waited  upon !  Some  cut-up  oranges  were  brought  him. 
"  How  kind  people  are,"  said  he.  "  Not  once  since  I  was 
wounded  have  I  ever  been  left  without  fruit,  hard  as  it  is 
to  get  now."  "  The  money  value  of  friendship  is  easily 
counted  now,"  said  some  one,  "  oranges  are  five  dollars 
apiece. ' ' 

December  10th. — Mrs.  Davis  and  Mrs.  Lyons  came.  We 
had  luncheon  brought  in  for  them,  and  then  a  lucid  ex 
planation  of  the  chronique  scandaleuse,  of  which  Beck  J. 
is  the  heroine.  We  walked  home  with  Mrs.  Davis  and  met 
the  President  riding  alone.  Surely  that  is  wrong.  It  must 
be  unsafe  for  him  when  there  are  so  many  traitors,  not  to 
speak  of  bribed  negroes.  Burton  Harrison  *  says  Mr.  Davis 
prefers  to  go  alone,  and  there  is  none  to  gainsay  him. 

My  husband  laid  the  law  down  last  night.  I  felt  it  to 
be  the  last  drop  in  my  full  cup.  * i  No  more  feasting  in  this 
house,"  said  he.  "  This  is  no  time  for  junketing  and  mer 
rymaking.  "  "  And  you  said  you  brought  me  here  to  enjoy 
the  winter  before  you  took  me  home  and  turned  my  face  to 

1  Burton  Harrison,  then  secretary  to  Jefferson  Davis,  who  married 
Miss  Constance  Gary  and  became  well  known  as  a  New  York  lawyer. 
He  died  in  Washington  in  1904. 

263 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,*    VA.  April  11,  1864 

a  dead  wall."    He  is  the  master  of  the  house;  to  hear  is 
to  obey. 

December  14th. — Drove  out  with  Mrs.  Davis.  She  had 
a  watch  in  her  hand  which  some  poor  dead  soldier  wanted 
to  have  sent  to  his  family.  First,  we  went  to  her  mantua- 
maker,  then  we  drove  to  the  Fair  Grounds  where  the  band 
was  playing.  Suddenly,  she  missed  the  watch.  She  remem 
bered  having  it  when  we  came  out  of  the  mantua-maker 's. 
We  drove  back  instantly,  and  there  the  watch  was  lying 
near  the  steps  of  the  little  porch  in  front  of  the  house.  No 
one  had  passed  in,  apparently ;  in  any  case,  no  one  had 
seen  it. 

Preston  Hampton  went  with  me  to  see  Conny  Gary.  The 
talk  was  frantically  literary,  which  Preston  thought  hard 
on  him.  I  had  just  brought  the  St.  Denis  number  of  Les 
Miserables. 

Sunday,  Christopher  Hampton  walked  to  church  with 
me.  Coming  out,  General  Lee  was  seen  slowly  making  his 
way  down  the  aisle,  bowing  royally  to  right  and  left.  I 
pointed  him  out  to  Christopher  Hampton  when  General  Lee 
happened  to  look  our  way.  He  bowed  low,  giving  me  a 
charming  smile  of  recognition.  I  was  ashamed  of  being  so 
pleased.  I  blushed  like  a  schoolgirl. 

We  went  to  the  White  House.  They  gave  us  tea.  The 
President  said  he  had  been  on  the  way  to  our  house,  coming 
with  all  the  Davis  family,  to  see  me,  but  the  children  be 
came  so  troublesome  they  turned  back.  Just  then,  little  Joe 
rushed  in  and  insisted  on  saying  his  prayers  at  his  father's 
knee,  then  and  there.  He  was  in  his  night-clothes. 

December  19th. — A  box  has  come  from  home  for  me. 
Taking  advantage  of  this  good  fortune  and  a  full  larder, 
have  asked  Mrs.  Davis  to  dine  with  me.  Wade  Hampton 
sent  me  a  basket  of  game.  We  had  Mrs.  Davis  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Preston.  After  dinner  we  walked  to  the  church  to  see 
the  Freeland-Lewis  wedding.  Mr.  Preston  had  Mrs.  Davis 
on  his  arm.  My  husband  and  Mrs.  Preston,  and  Burton 

264 


GENERAL    BUCKNER 


December  24th. — As  we  walked,  Brewster  reported  a 
row  he  had  had  with  General  Hood.  Brewster  had  told 
those  six  young  ladies  at  the  Prestons'  that  "  old  Sam  " 
was  in  the  habit  of  saying  he  would  not  marry  if  he  could 
any  silly,  sentimental  girl,  who  would  throw  herself  away 
upon  a  maimed  creature  such  as  he  was.  When  Brewster 
went  home  he  took  pleasure  in  telling  Sam  how  the  ladies 
had  complimented  his  good  sense,  whereupon  the  General 
rose  in  his  wrath  and  threatened  to  break  his  crutch  over 
Brewster 's  head.  To  think  he  could  be  such  a  fool — to  go 
about  repeating  to  everybody  his  whimperings. 

I  was  taking  my  seat  at  the  head  of  the  table  when  the 
door  opened  and  Brewster  walked  in  unannounced.  He 
took  his  stand  in  front  of  the  open  door,  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets  and  his  small  hat  pushed  back  as  far  as  it  could 
get  from  his  forehead. 

"  What!  "  said  he,  "you  are  not  ready  yet?  The  gen 
erals  are  below.  Did  you  get  my  note?  "  I  begged  my 
husband  to  excuse  me  and  rushed  off  to  put  on  my  bonnet 
and  furs.  I  met  the  girls  coming  up  with  a  strange  man. 
The  flurry  of  two  major-generals  had  been  too  much  for  me 
and  I  forgot  to  ask  the  new  one's  name.  They  went  up  to 
dine  in  my  place  with  my  husband,  who  sat  eating  his  din 
ner,  with  Lawrence's  undivided  attention  given  to  him, 
amid  this  whirling  and  eddying  in  and  out  of  the  world  mil 
itant.  Mary  Preston  and  I  then  went  to  drive  with  the 
generals.  The  new  one  proved  to  be  Buckner,1  who  is  also 
a  Kentuckian.  The  two  men  told  us  they  had  slept  together 
the  night  before  Chickamauga.  It  is  useless  to  try:  legs 
can't  any  longer  be  kept  out  of  the  conversation.  So  Gen 
eral  Buckner  said :  ' '  Once  before  I  slept  with  a  man  and  he 
lost  his  leg  next  day. ' '  He  had  made  a  vow  never  to  do  so 


1  Simon  B.  Buckner  was  a  graduate  of  West  Point  and  had  served  in 
the  Mexican  War.    In  1887  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Kentucky  and, 
at  the  funeral  of  General  Grant,  acted  as  one  of  the  pall-bearers. 
19  267 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,  *  VA.  April  11,  1864 

again.  ' '  When  Sam  and  I  parted  that  morning,  we  said : 
'  You  or  I  may  be  killed,  but  the  cause  will  be  safe  all  the 
same.'  ' 

After  the  drive  everybody  came  in  to  tea,  my  husband 
in  famous  good  humor,  we  had  an  unusually  gay  evening. 
It  was  very  nice  of  my  husband  to  take  no  notice  of  my  con 
duct  at  dinner,  which  had  been  open  to  criticism.  All  the 
comfort  of  my  life  depends  upon  his  being  in  good  humor. 

Christmas  Day,  1863. — Yesterday  dined  with  the  Pres- 
tons.  Wore  one  of  my  handsomest  Paris  dresses  (from 
Paris  before  the  war).  Three  magnificent  Kentucky  gen 
erals  were  present,  with  Senator  Orr  from  South  Carolina, 
and  Mr.  Miles.  General  Buckner  repeated  a  speech  of 
Hood 's  to  him  to  show  how  friendly  they  were.  ' '  I  prefer  a 
ride  with  you  to  the  company  of  any  woman  in  the  world," 
Buckner  had  answered.  ' '  I  prefer  your  company  to  that  of. 
any  man,  certainly,"  was  Hood's  reply.  This  became  the 
standing  joke  of  the  dinner;  it  flashed  up  in  every  form. 
Poor  Sam  got  out  of  it  so  badly,  if  he  got  out  of  it  at  all. 
General  Buckner  said  patronizingly,  "  Lame  excuses,  all. 
Hood  never  gets  out  of  any  scrape — that  is,  unless  he  can 
fight  out."  Others  dropped  in  after  dinner;  some  without 
arms,  some  without  legs ;  von  Borcke,  who  can  not  speak  be 
cause  of  a  wound  in  his  throat.  Isabella  said:  "  We  have 
all  kinds  now,  but  a  blind  one."  Poor  fellows,  they  laugh 
at  wounds.  "  And  they  yet  can  show  many  a  scar." 

We  had  for  dinner  oyster  soup,  besides  roast  mut 
ton,  ham,  boned  turkey,  wild  duck,  partridge,  plum  pud 
ding,  sauterne,  burgundy,  sherry,  and  Madeira,  There  is 
life  in  the  old  land  yet! 

At  my  house  to-day  after  dinner,  and  while  Alex 
Haskell  and  my  husband  sat  over  the  wine,  Hood  gave 
me  an  account  of  his  discomfiture  last  night.  He  said 
he  could  not  sleep  after  it;  it  was  the  hardest  battle  he 
had  ever  fought  in  his  life,  '  *  and  I  was  routed,  as  it  were ; 
she  told  me  there  was  no  hope ;  that  ends  it.  You  know  at 

268 


SUW ARROW    GRANT 


Petersburg  on  my  way  to  the  Western  army  she  half -prom 
ised  me  to  think  of  it.  She  would  not  say  '  Yes, '  but  she  did 
not  say  '  No  ' — that  is,  not  exactly.  At  any  rate,  I  went  off 
saying,  '  I  am  engaged  to  you, '  and  she  said,  *  I  am  not  en 
gaged  to  you. '  After  I  was  so  fearfully  wounded  I  gave  it 
up.  But,  then,  since  I  came, ' '  etc. 

'  *  Do  you  mean  to  say, ' '  said  I,  ' i  that  you  had  proposed 
to  her  before  that  conversation  in  the  carriage,  when  you 
asked  Brewster  the  symptoms  of  love?  I  like  your  audac 
ity.  "  "  Oh,  she  understood,  but  it  is  all  up  now,  for  she 
says,  'No!'  " 

My  husband  says  I  am  extravagant.  "  No,  my  friend, 
not  that/'  said  I.  "  I  had  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  I 
have  spent  every  cent  of  it  in  my  housekeeping.  Not  one 
cent  for  myself,  not  one  cent  for  dress  nor  any  personal 
want  whatever. ' '  He  calls  me  * '  hospitality  run  mad. ' ' 

January  1,  1864. — General  Hood's  an  awful  flatterer — 
I  mean  an  awkward  flatterer.  I  told  him  to  praise  my  hus 
band  to  some  one  else,  not  to  me.  He  ought  to  praise  me 
to  somebody  who  would  tell  my  husband,  and  then  praise 
my  husband  to  another  person  who  would  tell  me.  Man 
and  wife  are  too  much  one  person — to  wave  a  compliment 
straight  in  the  face  of  one  about  the  other  is  not  graceful. 

One  more  year  of  Stonewall  would  have  saved  us. 
Chickamauga  is  the  only  battle  we  have  gained  since  Stone 
wall  died,  and  no  results  follow  as  usual.  Stonewall  was 
not  so  much  as  killed  by  a  Yankee :  he  was  shot  by  his  own 
men ;  that  is  hard.  General  Lee  can  do  no  more  than  keep 
back  Meade.  •"  One  of  Meade's  armies,  you  mean,"  said  I, 
"  for  they  have  only  to  double  on  him  when  Lee  whips  one 
of  them." 

General  Edward  'Johnston  says  he  got  Grant  a  place — 
esprit  de  corps,  you  know.  He  could  not  bear  to  see  an  old 
army  man  driving  a  wagon;  that  was  when  he  found  him 
out  West,  put  out  of  the  army  for  habitual  drunkenness. 
He  is  their  right  man,  a  bull-headed  Suwarrow.  He  don't 

269 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMONEf,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

care  a  snap  if  men  fall  like  the  leaves  fall ;  he  fights  to  win, 
that  chap  does.  He  is  not  distracted  by  a  thousand  side 
issues ;  he  does  not  see  them.  He  is  narrow  and  sure — sees 
only  in  a  straight  line.  Like  Louis  Napoleon,  from  a  battle 
in  the  gutter,  he  goes  straight  up.  Yes,  as  with  Lincoln, 
they  have  ceased  to  carp  at  him  as  a  rough  clown,  no  gentle 
man,  etc.  You  never  hear  now  of  Lincoln's  nasty  fun ;  only 
of  his  wisdom.  Doesn't  take  much  soap  arid  water  to  wash 
the  hands  that  the  rod  of  empire  sway.  They  talked  of  Lin 
coln's  drunkenness,  too.  Now,  since  Vicksburg  they  have 
not  a  word  to  say  against  Grant's  habits.  He  has  the  dis 
agreeable  habit  of  not  retreating  before  irresistible  veterans. 
General  Lee  and  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  show  blood  and 
breeding.  They  are  of  the  Bayard  and  Philip  Sidney  order 
of  soldiers.  Listen:  if  General  Lee  had  had  Grant's  re 
sources  he  would  have  bagged  the  last  Yankee,  or  have  had 
them  all  safe  back  in  Massachusetts.  "  You  mean  if  he 
had  not  the  weight  of  the  negro  question  upon  him?  ' 
11  No,  I  mean  if  he  had  Grant's  unlimited  allowance  of  the 
powers  of  war — men,  money,  ammunition,  arms." 

Mrs.  Ould  says  Mrs.  Lincoln  found  the  gardener  of  the 
White  House  so  nice,  she  would  make  him  a  major-general. 
Lincoln  remarked  to  the  secretary:  "  Well,  the  little 
woman  must  have  her  way  sometimes. ' ' 

A  word  of  the  last  night  of  the  old  year.  l '  Gloria  Mun- 
di  ' '  sent  me  a  cup  of  strong,  good  coffee.  I  drank  two  cups 
and  so  I  did  not  sleep  a  wink.  Like  a  fool  I  passed  my 
whole  life  in  review,  and  bitter  memories  maddened  me 
quite.  Then  came  a  happy  thought.  I  mapped  out  a  story 
of  the  war.  The  plot  came  to  hand,  for  it  was  true.  Johnny 
is  the  hero,  a  light  dragoon  and  heavy  swell.  I  will  call  it 
F.  F.'s,  for  it  is  the  F.  F.'s  both  of  South  Carolina  and 
Virginia.  It  is  to  be  a  war  story,  and  the  filling  out  of  the 
skeleton  was  the  best  way  to  put  myself  to  sleep. 

January  4th. — Mrs.  Ives  wants  us  to  translate  a  French 
play.  A  genuine  French  captain  came  in  from  his  ship  on 

270 


NORTH    CAROLINA   WANTS    PEACE 

the  James  River  and  gave  us  good  advice  as  to  how  to  make 
the  selection.  General  Hampton  sent  another  basket  of 
partridges,  and  all  goes  merry  as  a  marriage  bell. 

My  husband  came  in  and  nearly  killed  us.  He  brought 
this  piece  of  news:  "  North  Carolina  wants  to  offer  terms 
of  peace !  ' !  We  needed  only  a  break  of  that  kind  to  finish 
us.  I  really  shivered  nervously,  as  one  does  when  the  first 
handful  of  earth  comes  rattling  down  on  the  coffin  in  the 
grave  of  one  we  cared  for  more  than  all  who  are  left. 

January  5th. — At  Mrs.  Preston's,  met  the  Light  Bri 
gade  in  battle  array,  ready  to  sally  forth,  conquering  and  to 
conquer.  They  would  stand  no  nonsense  from,  me  about 
staying  at  home  to  translate  a  French  play.  Indeed,  the 
plays  that  have  been  sent  us  are  so  indecent  I  scarcely  know 
where  a  play  is  to  be  found  that  would  do  at  all. 

While  at  dinner  the  President's  carriage  drove  up  with 
only  General  Hood.  He  sent  up  to  ask  in  Maggie  Howell's 
name  would  I  go  with  them  1  I  tied  up  two  partridges  be 
tween  plates  with  a  serviette,  for  Buck,  who  is  ill,  and  then 
went  down.  We  picked  up  Mary  Preston.  It  was  Mag 
gie's  drive;  as  the  soldiers  say,  I  was  only  on  "  escort 
duty."  At  the  Prestons',  Major  Venable  met  us  at  the  door 
and  took  in  the  partridges  to  Buck.  As  we  drove  off  Mag 
gie  said:  "  Major  Venable  is  a  Carolinian,  I  see."  "  No; 
Virginian  to  the  core. ' '  *  But,  then,  he  was  a  professor  in 
the  South  Carolina  College  before  the  war."  Mary  Preston 
said :  ' i  She  is  taking  a  fling  at  your  weakness  for  all  South 
Carolina." 

Came  home  and  found  my  husband  in  a  bitter  mood.  It 
has  all  gone  wrong  with  our  world.  The  loss  of  our  private 
fortune  the  smallest  part.  He  intimates,  "  with  so  much 
human  misery  filling  the  air,  we  might  stay  at  home  and 
think."  "  And  go  mad?  "  said  I.  "  Catch  me  at  it!  A 
yawning  grave,  with  piles  of  red  earth  thrown  on  one  side ; 
that  is  the  only  future  I  ever  see.  You  remember  Emma 
Stockton?  She  and  I  were  as  blithe  as  birds  that  day  at 

271 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND),     VA.  April  11,  1864 

Mulberry.  I  came  here  the  next  day,  and  when  I  arrived 
a  telegram  said :  '  Emma  Stockton  found  dead  in  her  bed. ' 
It  is  awfully  near,  that  thought.  No,  no.  I  will  not  stop 
and  think  of  death  always." 

January  8th. — Snow  of  the  deepest.  Nobody  can  come 
to-day,  I  thought.  But  they  did!  My  girls,  first;  then 
Constance  Gary  tripped  in — the  clever  Conny.  Hetty  is 
the  beauty,  so  called,  though  she  is  clever  enough,  too;  but 
Constance  is  actually  clever  and  has  a  classically  perfect 
outline.  Next  came  the  four  Kentuckians  and  Preston 
Hampton.  He  is  as  tall  as  the  Kentuckians  and  ever  so 
much  better  looking.  Then  we  had  egg-nog. 

I  was  to  take  Miss  Gary  to  the  Semmes's.  My  husband 
inquired  the  price  of  a  carriage.  It  was  twenty-five  dollars 
an  hour!  He  cursed  by  all  his  gods  at  such  extravagance. 
The  play  was  not  worth  the  candle,  or  carriage,  in  this  in 
stance.  In  Confederate  money  it  sounds  so  much  worse 
than  it  is.  I  did  not  dream  of  asking  him  to  go  with  me 
after  that  lively  overture.  ' '  I  did  intend  to  go  with  you, ' ' 
he  said,  "  but  you  do  not  ask  me."  "  And  I  have  been 
asking  you  for  twenty  years  to  go  with  me,  in  vain.  Think 
of  that !  "  I  said,  tragically.  We  could  not  wait  for  him  to 
dress,  so  I  sent  the  twenty-five-dollar-an-hour  carriage  back 
for  him.  We  were  behind  time,  as  it  was.  When  he 
came,  the  beautiful  Hetty  Gary  and  her  friend,  Captain 
Tucker,  were  with  him.  Major  von  Borcke  and  Preston 
Hampton  were  at  the  Gary's,  in  the  drawing-room  when 
we  called  for  Constance,  who  was  dressing.  I  challenge 
the  world  to  produce  finer  specimens  of  humanity  than  these 
three :  the  Prussian  von  Borcke,  Preston  Hampton,  and 
Hetty  Gary. 

We  spoke  to  the  Prussian  about  the  vote  of  thanks 
passed  by  Congress  yesterday — "  thanks  of  the  country  to 
Major  von  Borcke."  The  poor  man  was  as  modest  as  a 
girl — in  spite  of  his  huge  proportions.  "  That  is  a  compli 
ment,  indeed!  "  said  Hetty.  "  Yes.  I  saw  it.  And  the 

272 


A  CHARADE  PARTY 


happiest,  the  proudest  day  of  my  life  as  I  read  it.  It  was 
at  the  hotel  breakfast-table.  I  try  to  hide  my  face  with 
the  newspaper,  I  feel  it  grow  so  red.  But  my  friend  he  has 
his  newspaper,  too,  and  he  sees  the  same  thing.  So  he  looks 
my  way — he  says,  pointing  to  me — '  Why  does  he  grow  so 
red  ?  He  has  got  something  there !  '  and  he  laughs.  Then 
I  try  to  read  aloud  the  so  kind  compliments  of  the  Congress 
— but — he — you — I  can  not —  He  puts  his  hand  to  his 
throat.  His  broken  English  and  the  difficulty  of  his  enun 
ciation  with  that  wound  in  his  windpipe  makes  it  all  very 
touching — and  very  hard  to  understand. 

The  Semmes  charade  party  was  a  perfect  success.  The 
play  was  charming.  Sweet  little  Mrs.  Lawson  Clay  had  a 
seat  for  me  banked  up  among  women.  The  female  part  of 
the  congregation,  strictly  segregated  from  the  male,  were 
placed  all  together  in  rows.  They  formed  a  gay  parterre, 
edged  by  the  men  in  their  black  coats  and  gray  uniforms. 
Toward  the  back  part  of  the  room,  the  mass  of  black  and 
gray  was  solid.  Captain  Tucker  bewailed  his  fate.  He  was 
stranded  out  there  with  those  forlorn  men,  but  could  see  us 
laughing,  and  fancied  what  we  were  saying  was  worth  a 
thousand  charades.  He  preferred  talking  to  a  clever  wom 
an  to  any  known  way  of  passing  a  pleasant  hour.  ' '  So  do 
I, ' '  somebody  said. 

On  a  sofa  of  state  in  front  of  all  sat  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Davis.  Little  Maggie  Davis  was  one  of  the  child  ac 
tresses.  Her  parents  had  a  right  to  be  proud  of  her ;  with 
her  flashing  black  eyes,  she  was  a  marked  figure  on  the 
stage.  She  is  a  handsome  creature  and  she  acted  her  part 
admirably.  The  shrine  was  beautiful  beyond  wrords.  The 
Semmes  and  Ives  families  are  Roman  Catholics,  and  under 
stand  getting  up  that  sort  of  thing.  First  came  the  ' '  Palm 
ers  Gray, ' '  then  Mrs.  Ives,  a  solitary  figure,  the  loveliest  of 
penitent  women.  The  Eastern  pilgrims  were  delightfully 
costumed ;  we  could  not  understand  how  so  much  Christian 
piety  could  come  clothed  in  such  odalisque  robes.  Mrs. 

273 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND;    VA.  April  11,  1864 

Ould,  as  a  queen,  was  as  handsome  and  regal  as  heart  could 
wish  for.  She  was  accompanied  by  a  very  satisfactory 
king,  whose  name,  if  I  ever  knew,  I  have  forgotten.  There 
was  a  resplendent  knight  of  St.  John,  and  then  an  Amer 
ican  Indian.  After  their  orisons  they  all  knelt  and  laid 
something  on  the  altar  as  a  votive  gift. 

Burton  Harrison,  the  President's  handsome  young  sec 
retary,  was  gotten  up  as  a  big  brave  in  a  dress  presented  to 
Mr.  Davis  by  Indians  for  some  kindness  he  showed  them 
years  ago.  It  was  a  complete  warrior's  outfit,  scant  as  that 
is.  The  feathers  stuck  in  the  back  of  Mr.  Harrison's  head 
had  a  charmingly  comic  effect.  He  had  to  shave  himself  as 
clean  as  a  baby  or  he  could  not  act  the  beardless  chief, 
Spotted  Tail,  Billy  Bowlegs,  Big  Thunder,  or  whatever  his 
character  was.  So  he  folded  up  his  loved  and  lost  mus 
tache,  the  Christianized  red  Indian,  and  laid  it  on  the  altar, 
the  most  sacred  treasure  of  his  life,  the  witness  of  his  most 
heroic  sacrifice,  on  the  shrine. 

Senator  Hill,  of  Georgia,  took  me  in  to  supper,  where 
were  ices,  chicken  salad,  oysters,  and  champagne.  The 
President  came  in  alone,  I  suppose,  for  while  we  were  talk 
ing  after  supper  and  your  humble  servant  was  standing  be 
tween  Mrs.  Randolph  and  Mrs.  Stanard,  he  approached, 
offered  me  his  arm  and  we  walked  off,  oblivious  of  Mr.  Sen 
ator  Hill.  Remember  this,  ladies,  and  forgive  me  for  re 
cording  it,  but  Mrs.  Stanard  and  Mrs.  Randolph  are  the 
handsomest  women  in  Richmond;  I  am  no  older  than  they 
are,  or  younger,  either,  sad  to  say.  Now,  the  President 
walked  with  me  slowly  up  and  down  that  long  room,  and 
our  conversation  was  of  the  saddest.  Nobody  knows  so  well 
as  he  the  difficulties  which  beset  this  hard-driven  Confed 
eracy.  He  has  a  voice  which  is  perfectly  modulated,  a  com 
fort  in  this  loud  and  rough  soldier  world.  I  think  there  is 
a  melancholy  cadence  in  his  voice  at  times,  of  which  he  is 
unconscious  when  he  talks  of  things  as  they  are  now. 

My  husband  was  so  intensely  charmed  with  Hetty  Cary 

274 


PRIVATE    THEATRICALS 


that  he  declined  at  the  first  call  to  accompany  his  wife  home 
in  the  twenty-five-dollar-an-hour  carriage.  He  ordered  it 
to  return.  When  it  came,  his  wife  (a  good  manager) 
packed  the  Carys  and  him  in  with  herself,  leaving  the  other 
two  men  who  came  with  the  party,  when  it  was  divided  into 
* '  trips, ' '  to  make  their  way  home  in  the  cold.  At  our  door, 
near  daylight  of  that  bitter  cold  morning,  I  had  the  pleas 
ure  to  see  my  husband,  like  a  man,  stand  and  pay  for  that 
carriage !  To-day  he  is  pleased  with  himself,  with  me,  and 
with  all  the  world ;  says  if  there  was  no  such  word  as  ' '  fas 
cinating  "  you  would  have  to  invent  one  to  describe  Hetty 
Gary. 

January  9th. — Met  Mrs.  Wigfall.  She  wants  me  to  take 
Halsey  to  Mrs.  Randolph 's  theatricals.  I  am  to  get  him  up 
as  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  Now,  General  Breckinridge  has 
come.  I  like  him  better  than  any  of  them.  Morgan  also  is 
here.1  These  huge  Kentuckians  fill  the  town.  Isabella  says, 
"  They  hold  Morgan  accountable  for  the  loss  of  Chatta 
nooga.  "  The  follies  of  the  wise,  the  weaknesses  of  the 
great !  She  shakes  her  head  significantly  when  I  begin  to 
tell  why  I  like  him  so  well.  Last  night  General  Buckner 
came  for  her  to  go  with  him  and  rehearse  at  the  Carys'  for 
Mrs.  Randolph's  charades. 

The  President's  man,  Jim,  that  he  believed  in  as  we  all 
believe  in  our  own  servants,  "  our  own  people,"  as  we  call 
them,  and  Betsy,  Mrs.  Davis 's  maid,  decamped  last  night. 
It  is  miraculous  that  they  had  the  fortitude  to  resist  the 
temptation  so  long.  At  Mrs.  Davis 's  the  hired  servants  all 
have  been  birds  of  passage.  First  they  were  seen  with  gold 
galore,  and  then  they  would  fly  to  the  Yankees,  and  I  am 
sure  they  had  nothing  to  tell.  It  is  Yankee  money  wasted. 

1  John  H.  Morgan,  a  native  of  Alabama,  entered  the  Confederate 
army  in  1861  as  a  Captain  and  in  1862  was  made  a  Major-General.  He 
was  captured  by  the  Federals  in  1863  and  confined  in  an  Ohio  peni 
tentiary,  but  he  escaped  and  once  more  joined  the  Confederate  army. 
In  September,  1864,  he  was  killed  in  battle  near  Greenville,  Tenn. 

275 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

I  do  not  think  it  had  ever  crossed  Mrs.  Davis 's  brain  that 
these  two  could  leave  her.  She  knew,  however,  that  Betsy 
had  eighty  dollars  in  gold  and  two  thousand  four  hundred 
dollars  in  Confederate  notes. 

Everybody  who  comes  in  brings  a  little  bad  news — not 
much,  in  itself,  but  by  cumulative  process  the  effect  is  de 
pressing,  indeed. 

January  12th. — To-night  there  will  be  &  great  gathering 
of  Kentuckians.  Morgan  gives  them  a  dinner.  The  city  of 
Richmond  entertains  John  Morgan.  He  is  at  free  quarters. 
The  girls  dined  here.  Conny  Gary  came  back  for  more 
white  feathers.  Isabella  had  appropriated  two  sets  and 
obstinately  refused  Constance  Gary  a  single  feather  from 
her  pile.  She  said,  sternly :  *  *  I  have  never  been  on  the  stage 
before,  and  I  have  a  presentiment  when  my  father  hears  of 
this,  I  will  never  go  again.  I  am  to  appear  before  the  foot 
lights  as  an  English  dowager  duchess,  and  I  mean  to  rustle 
in  every  feather,  to  wear  all  the  lace  and  diamonds  these 
two  houses  can  compass  " —(mine  and  Mrs.  Preston's). 
She  was  jolly  but  firm,  and  Constance  departed  without  any 
additional  plumage  for  her  Lady  Teazle. 

January  14th. — Gave  Mrs.  White  twenty-three  dollars 
for  a  turkey.  Came  home  wondering  all  the  way  why  she 
did  not  ask  twenty-five;  two  more  dollars  could  not  have 
made  me  balk  at  the  bargain,  and  twenty-three  sounds  odd. 

January  15th. — What  a  day  the  Kentuckians  have  had ! 
Mrs.  Webb  gave  them  a  breakfast;  from  there  they  pro 
ceeded  en  masse  to  General  Lawton's  dinner,  and  then  came 
straight  hero,  all  of  which  seems  equal  to  one  of  Stonewall 's 
forced  marches.  General  Lawton  took  me  in  to  supper.  In 
spite  of  his  dinner  he  had  misgivings.  "  My  heart  is 
heavy/'  said  he,  "  even  here.  All  seems  too  light,  too  care 
less,  for  such  terrible  times.  It  seems  out  of  place  here  in 
battle-scarred  Richmond."  "  I  have  heard  something  of 
that  kind  at  home,"  I  replied.  "  Hope  and  fear  are  both 
gone,  and  it  is  distraction  or  death  with  us.  I  do  not  see 

276 


BURTON    HARRISON 


how  sadness  and  despondency  would  help  us.  If  it  would 
do  any  good,  we  would  be  sad  enough. ' ' 

We  laughed  at  General  Hood.  General  Lawton  thought 
him  better  fitted  for  gallantry  on  the  battle-field  than  play 
ing  a  lute  in  my  lady 's  chamber.  When  Miss  Giles  was  elec 
trifying  the  audience  as  the  Fair  Penitent,  some  one  said : 
"  Oh,  that  is  so  pretty!  "  Hood  cried  out  with  stern  re- 
proachf ulness :  '  *  That  is  not  pretty ;  it  is  elegant. ' ' 

Not  only  had  my  house  been  rifled  for  theatrical  proper 
ties,  but  as  the  play  went  on  they  came  for  my  black  velvet 
cloak.  When  it  was  over,  I  thought  I  should  never  get 
away,  my  cloak  was  so  hard  to  find.  But  it  gave  me  an 
opportunity  to  witness  many  things  behind  the  scenes — that 
cloak  hunt  did.  Behind  the  scenes!  I  know  a  little  what 
that  means  now. 

General  Jeb  Stuart  was  at  Mrs.  Randolph's  in  his  cav 
alry  jacket  and  high  boots.  He  was  devoted  to  Hetty  Gary. 
Constance  Gary  said  to  me,  pointing  to  his  stars,  "  Hetty 
likes  them  that  way,  you  know — gilt-edged  and  with  stars. ' ' 

January  16th. — A  visit  from  the  President's  handsome 
and  accomplished  secretary,  Burton  Harrison.  I  lent  him 
Gountry  Clergyman  in  Town  and  Elective  Affinities.  He 
is  to  bring  me  Mrs.  Norton's  Lost  and  Saved. 

At  Mrs.  Randolph's,  my  husband  complimented  one  of 
the  ladies,  who  had  amply  earned  his  praise  by  her  splendid 
acting.  She  pointed  to  a  young  man,  saying,  "  You  see 
that  wretch ;  he  has  not  said  one  word  to  me !  ' :  My  hus 
band  asked  innocently,  * '  Why  should  he  ?  And  why  is  he 
a  wretch?  ';  "  Oh,  you  know!  ':  Going  home  I  explained 
this  riddle  to  him;  he  is  always  a  year  behindhand  in 
gossip.  "  They  said  those  two  were  engaged  last  winter, 
and  now  there  seems  to  be  a  screw  loose;  but  that  sort  of 
thing  always  comes  right."  The  Carys  prefer  James  Ches- 
nut  to  his  wife.  I  don't  mind.  Indeed,  I  like  it.  I  do,  too. 

Every  Sunday  Mr.  Minnegerode  cried  aloud  in  anguish 
his  litany,  "from  pestilence  and  famine,  battle,  murder, 

277 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    V*A.  April  11,  1864 

and  sudden  death,"  and  we  wailed  on  our  knees,  "Good 
Lord  deliver  us/'  and  on  Monday,  and  all  the  week  long, 
we  go  on  as  before,  hearing  of  nothing  but  battle,  murder, 
and  sudden  death,  which  are  daily  events.  Now  I  have  a 
new  book;  that  is  the  unlooked-for  thing,  a  pleasing  inci 
dent  in  this  life  of  monotonous  misery.  We.  live  in  a  huge 
barrack.  We  are  shut  in,  guarded  from  light  without. 

At  breakfast  to-day  came  a  card,  and  without  an  in 
stant's  interlude,  perhaps  the  neatest,  most  fastidious  man 
in  South  Carolina  walked  in.  I  was  uncombed,  unkempt, 
tattered,  and  torn,  in  my  most  comfortable,  worst  worn, 
wadded  green  silk  dressing-gown,  with  a  white  woolen 
shawl  over  my  head  to  keep  off  draughts.  He  has  not  been 
in  the  war  yet,  and  now  he  wants  to  be  captain  of  an  engi 
neer  corps.  I  wish  he  may  get  it !  He  has  always  been  my 
friend;  so  he  shall  lack  no  aid  that  I  can  give.  If  he  can 
stand  the  shock  of  my  appearance  to-day,  we  may  reason 
ably  expect  to  continue  friends  until  death.  Of  all  men, 
the  fastidious  Barny  Heywood  to  come  in.  He  faced  the 
situation  gallantly. 

January  18th. — Invited  to  Dr.  Haxall's  last  night  to 
meet  the  Lawtons.  Mr.  Benjamin  *  dropped  in.  He  is  a 
friend  of  the  house.  Mrs.  Haxall  is  a  Richmond  leader  of 
society,  a  ci-devant  beauty  and  belle,  a  charming  person 
still,  and  her  hospitality  is  of  the  genuine  Virginia  type. 
Everything  Mr.  Benjamin  said  we  listened  to,  bore  in  mind, 
and  gave  heed  to  it  diligently.  He  is  a  Delphic  oracle,  of 
the  innermost  shrine,  and  is  supposed  to  enjoy  the  honor  of 
Mr.  Davis 's  unreserved  confidence. 

1  Judah  P.  Benjamin,  was  born,  of  Jewish  parentage,  at  St.  Croix 
in  the  West  Indies,  and  was  elected  in  1852  to  represent  Louisiana 
in  the  United  States  Senate,  where  he  served  until  1861.  In  the  Con 
federate  administration  he  served  successively  from  1861  to  1865  as 
Attorney-General,  Secretary  of  War,  and  Secretary  of  State.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  went  to  England  where  he  achieved  remarkable 
success  at  the  bar. 

278 


LAMAR    AND    GEORGE    ELIOT 


Lamar  was  asked  to  dinner  here  yesterday;  so  he  came 
to-day.  We  had  our  wild  turkey  cooked  for  him  yesterday, 
and  I  dressed  myself  within  an  inch  of  my  life  with  the  best 
of  my  four-year-old  finery.  Two  of  us,  my  husband  and  I, 
did  not  damage  the  wild  turkey  seriously.  So  Lamar  en 
joyed  the  rechauffe,  and  commended  the  art  with  which 
Molly  had  hid  the  slight  loss  we  had  inflicted  upon  its 
mighty  breast.  She  had  piled  fried  oysters  over  the  turkey 
so  skilfully,  that  unless  we  had  told  about  it,  no  one  would 
ever  have  known  that  the  huge  bird  was  making  his  second 
appearance  on  the  board. 

Lamar  was  more  absent-minded  and  distrait  than  ever. 
My  husband  behaved  like  a  trump — a  well-bred  man,  with 
all  his  wits  about  him ;  so  things  went  off  smoothly  enough. 
Lamar  had  just  read  Romola.  Across  the  water  he  said  it 
was  the  rage.  I  am  sure  it  is  not  as  good  as  Adam  Bede  or 
Silas  Marner.  It  is  not  worthy  of  the  woman  who  was  to 
"  rival  all  but  Shakespeare's  name  below."  "  What  is  the 
matter  with  Romola?  "  he  asked.  "  Tito  is  so  mean,  and 
he  is  mean  in  such  a  very  mean  way,  and  the  end  is  so  re 
pulsive.  Petting  the  husband's  illegitimate  children  and 
left-handed  wives  may  be  magnanimity,  but  human  nature 
revolts  at  it. ' '  ' '  Woman 's  nature,  you  mean !  ' :  *  *  Yes, 
and  now  another  test.  Two  weeks  ago  I  read  this  thing 
with  intense  interest,  and  already  her  Savonarola  has  faded 
from  my  mind.  I  have  forgotten  her  way  of  showing  Sa 
vonarola  as  completely  as  I  always  do  forget  Bulwer's 
Rienzi." 

"  Oh,  I  understand  you  now!  It  is  like  Milton's 
devil — he  has  obliterated  all  other  devils.  You  can't  fix 
your  mind  upon  any  other.  The  devil  always  must  be  of 
Miltonic  proportions  or  you  do  not  believe  in  him ;  Goethe 's 
Mephistopheles  disputes  the  crown  of  the  causeway  with 
Lucifer.  But  soon  you  begin  to  feel  that  Mephistopheles 
to  be  a  lesser  devil,  an  emissary  of  the  devil  only.  Is 
there  any  Cardinal  Wolsey  but  Shakespeare's?  any  Mira- 

279 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

beau  but  Carlyle's  Mirabeau?  But  the  list  is  too  long  of 
those  who  have  been  stamped  into  your  brain  by  genius. 
The  saintly  preacher,  the  woman  who  stands  by  Hetty  and 
saves  her  soul;  those  heavenly  minded  sermons  preached 
by  the  author  of  Adam  Bede,  bear  them  well  in  mind  while 
I  tell  you  how  this  writer,  who  so  well  imagines  and  depicts 
female  purity  and  piety,  was  a  governess,  or  something  of 
that  sort,  and  perhaps  wrote  for  a  living ;  at  any  rate,  she 
had  an  elective  affinity,  which  was  responded  to,  by  George 
Lewes,  and  so  she  lives  with  Lewes.  I  do  not  know  that  she 
caused  the  separation  between  Lewes  and  his  legal  wife. 
They  are  living  in  a  villa  on  some  Swiss  lake,  and  Mrs. 
Lewes,  of  the  hour,  is  a  charitable,  estimable,  agreeable, 
sympathetic  woman  of  genius. ' ' 

Lamar  seemed  without  prejudices  on  the  subject;  at 
least,  he  expressed  neither  surprise  nor  disapprobation.  He 
said  something  of  "  genius  being  above  law,"  but  I  was  not 
very  clear  as  to  what  he  said  on  that  point.  As  for  me  I 
said  nothing  for  fear  of  saying  too  much.  "  You  know 
that  Lewes  is  a  writer,"  said  he.  "  Some  people  say  the 
man  she  lives  with  is  a  noble  man. "  "  They  say  she  is  kind 
and  good  if — a  fallen  woman."  Here  the  conversation 
ended. 

January  20th. — And  now  comes  a  grand  announcement 
made  by  the  Yankee  Congress.  They  vote  one  million  of 
men  to  be  sent  down  here  to  free  the  prisoners  whom  they 
will  not  take  in  exchange.  I  actually  thought  they  left  all 
these  Yankees  here  on  our  hands  as  part  of  their  plan  to 
starve  us  out.  All  Congressmen  under  fifty  years  of  age 
are  to  leave  politics  and  report  for  military  duty  or  be  con 
scripted.  What  enthusiasm  there  is  in  their  councils! 
Confusion,  rather,  it  seems  to  me !  Mrs.  Ould  says  * '  the 
men  who  frequent  her  house  are  more  despondent  now  than 
ever  since  this  thing  began." 

Our  Congress  is  so  demoralized,  so  confused,  so  de 
pressed.  They  have  asked  the  President,  whom  they  have 

280 


GAIETY    IN    THE    MIDST    OF    WAR 

so  hated,  so  insulted,  so  crossed  and  opposed  and  thwarted 
in  every  way,  to  speak  to  them,  and  advise  them  what  to  do. 

January  21st. — Both  of  us  were  too  ill  to  attend  Mrs. 
Davis 's  reception.  It  proved  a  very  sensational  one.  First, 
a  fire  in  the  house,  then  a  robbery — said  to  be  an  arranged 
plan  of  the  usual  bribed  servants  there  and  some  escaped 
Yankee  prisoners.  To-day  the  Examiner  is  lost  in  wonder 
at  the  stupidity  of  the  fire  and  arson  contingent.  If  they 
had  only  waited  a  few  hours  until  everybody  was  asleep; 
after  a  reception  the  household  would  be  so  tired  and  so 
sound  asleep.  Thanks  to  the  editor's  kind  counsel  maybe 
the  arson  contingent  will  wait  and  do  better  next  time. 

Letters  from  home  carried  Mr.  Chesnut  off  to-day. 
Thackeray  is  dead.  I  stumbled  upon  Vanity  Fair  for  my 
self.  I  had  never  heard  of  Thackeray  before.  I  think  it 
was  in  1850.  I  know  I  had  been  ill  at  the  New  York  Hotel,1 
and  when  left  alone,  I  slipped  down-stairs  and  into  a  book 
store  that  I  had  noticed  under  the  hotel,  for  something  to 
read.  They  gave  me  the  first  half  of  Pendennis.  I  can  re 
call  now  the  very  kind  of  paper  it  was  printed  on,  and  the 
illustrations,  as  they  took  effect  upon  me.  And  yet  when 
I  raved  over  it,  and  was  wild  for  the  other  half,  there  were 
people  who  said  it  was  slow ;  that  Thackeray  was  evidently 
a  coarse,  dull,  sneering  writer ;  that  he  stripped  human  na 
ture  bare,  and  made  it  repulsive,  etc. 

January  22d. — At  Mrs.  Lyons 's  met  another  beautiful 
woman,  Mrs.  Penn,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Penn,  who  is  mak 
ing  shoes  in  a  Yankee  prison.  She  had  a  little  son  with  her, 
barely  two  years  old,  a  mere  infant.  She  said  to  him, 
"  Faites  comme  Butler. "  The  child  crossed  his  eyes  and 
made  himself  hideous,  then  laughed  and  rioted  around  as 
if  he  enjoyed  the  joke  hugely. 

1  The  New  York  Hotel,  covering  a  block  front  on  Broadway  at 
Waverley  Place,  was  a  favorite  stopping  place  for  Southerners  for 
many  years  before  the  war  and  after  it.  In  comparatively  recent  times 
it  was  torn  down  and  supplanted  by  a  business  block. 

281 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,.  VA.  April  11,  1864 

Went  to  Mrs.  Davis 's.  It  was  sad  enough.  Fancy  hav 
ing  to  be  always  ready  to  have  your  servants  set  your,  house 
on  fire,  being  bribed  to  do  it.  Such  constant  robberies,  such 
servants  coming  and  going  daily  to  the  Yankees,  carrying 
one's  silver,  one's  other  possessions,  does  not  conduce  to 
home  happiness. 

Saw  Hood  on  his  legs  once  more.  He  rode  off  on  a  fine 
horse,  and  managed  it  well,  though  he  is  disabled  in  one 
hand,  too.  After  all,  as  the  woman  said,  "  He  has  body 
enough  left  to  hold  his  soul. "  *  *  How  plucky  of  him  to  ride 
a  gay  horse  like  that. "  "  Oh,  a  Kentuckian  prides  himself 
upon  being  half  horse  and  half  man !  ' '  il  And  the  girl  who 
rode  beside  him.  Did  you  ever  see  a  more  brilliant  beauty  ? 
Three  cheers  for  South  Carolina !  !  " 

I  imparted  a  plan  of  mine  to  Brewster.  I  would  have  a 
breakfast,  a  luncheon,  a  matinee,  call  it  what  you  please, 
but  I  would  try  and  return  some  of  the  hospitalities  of  this 
most  hospitable  people.  Just  think  of  the  dinners,  suppers, 
breakfasts  we  have  been  to.  People  have  no  variety  in  war 
times,  but  they  make  up  for  that  lack  in  exquisite  cooking. 

"  Variety?  "  said  he.  "  You  are  hard  to  please,  with 
terrapin  stew,  gumbo,  fish,  oysters  in  every  shape,  game, 
and  wine — as  good  as  wine  ever  is.  I  do  not  mention  juleps, 
claret  cup,  apple  toddy,  whisky  punches  and  all  that.  I 
tell  you  it  is  good  enough  for  me.  Variety  would  spoil  it. 
Such  hams  as  these  Virginia  people  cure ;  such  home-made 
bread — there  is  no  such  bread  in  the  world.  Call  yours  a 
*  cold  collation.'  !  "  Yes,  I  have  eggs,  butter,  hams,  game, 
everything  from  home;  no  stint  just  now;  even  fruit." 

* '  You  ought  to  do  your  best.  They  are  so  generous  and 
hospitable  and  so  unconscious  of  any  merit,  or  exceptional 
credit,  in  the  matter  of  hospitality. "  * '  They  are  no  better 
than  the  Columbia  people  always  were  to  us."  So  I  fired 
up  for  my  own  country. 

January  23d. — My  luncheon  was  a  female  affair  exclu 
sively.  Mrs.  Davis  came  early  and  found  Annie  and  Tudie 

282 


AT    TWO    RECEPTIONS 


making  the  chocolate.  Lawrence  had  gone  South  with  my 
husband;  so  we  had  only  Molly  for  cook  and  parlor-maid. 
After  the  company  assembled  we  waited  and  waited.  Those 
girls  were  making  the  final  arrangements.  I  made  my  way 
to  the  door,  and  as  I  leaned  against  it  ready  to  turn  the 
knob,  Mrs.  Stanard  held  me  like  Coleridge's  Ancient  Mari 
ner,  and  told  how  she  had  been  prevented  by  a  violent  at 
tack  of  cramps  from  running  the  blockade,  and  how  provi 
dential  it  all  was.  All  this  floated  by  my  ear,  for  I  heard 
Mary  Preston's  voice  raised  in  high  protest  on  the  other 
side  of  the  door.  '  *  Stop  !  ' '  said  she.  ' '  Do  you  mean  to 
take  away  the  whole  dish?  "  "If  you  eat  many  more  of 
those  fried  oysters  they  will  be  missed.  Heavens!  She  is 
running  away  with  a  plug,  a  palpable  plug,  out  of  that 
jelly  cake!  ': 

Later  in  the  afternoon,  when  it  was  over  and  I  was  safe, 
for  all  had  gone  well  and  Molly  had  not  disgraced  herself 
before  the  mistresses  of  those  wonderful  Virginia  cooks, 
Mrs.  Davis  and  I  went  out  for  a  walk.  Barny  Heyward  and 
Dr.  Garnett  joined  us,  the  latter  bringing  the  welcome 
news  that  "  Muscoe  Russell's  wife  had  come." 

January  25th. — The  President  walked  home  with  me 
from  church  (I  was  to  dine  with  Mrs.  Davis).  He  walked 
so  fast  I  had  no  breath  to  talk ;  so  I  was  a  good  listener  for 
once.  The  truth  is  I  am  too  much  afraid  of  him  to  say  very 
much  in  his  presence.  We  had  such  a  nice  dinner.  After 
dinner  Hood  came  for  a  ride  with  the  President. 

Mr.  Hunter,  of  Virginia,  walked  home  with  me.  He 
made  himself  utterly  agreeable  by  dwelling  on  his  friend 
ship  and  admiration  of  my  husband.  He  said  it  was  high 
time  Mr.  Davis  should  promote  him,  and  that  he  had  told 
Mr.  Davis  his  opinion  on  that  subject  to-day. 

Tuesday,  Barny  Heyward  went  with  me  to  the  Presi 
dent's  reception,  and  from  there  to  a  ball  at  the  McFar- 
lands'.  Breckinridge  alone  of  the  generals  went  with  us. 
The  others  went  to  a  supper  given  by  Mr.  Clay,  of  Ala- 
20  283 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

bama.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Mr.  Ould,  Mr.  Benjamin,  and 
Mr.  Hunter.  These  men  speak  out  their  thoughts  plainly 
enough.  What  they  said,  means  "  We  are  rattling  down 
hill,  and  nobody  to  put  on  the  brakes."  I  wore  my  black 
velvet,  diamonds,  and  point  lace.  They  are  borrowed  for 
all  "  theatricals,"  but  I  wear  them  whenever  they  are 
at  home. 

February  1st. — Mrs.  Davis  gave  her  "  Luncheon  to  La 
dies  Only  "  on  Saturday.  Many  more  persons  there  than 
at  any  of  these  luncheons  which  we  have  gone  to  before. 
Gumbo,  ducks  and  olives,  chickens  in  jelly,  oysters,  lettuce 
salad,  chocolate  cream,  jelly  cake,  claret,  champagne,  etc., 
were  the  good  things  set  before  us. 

To-day,  for  a  pair  of  forlorn  shoes  I  have  paid  $85. 
Colonel  Ives  drew  my  husband's  pay  for  me.  I  sent  Law 
rence  for  it  (Mr.  Chesnut  ordered  him  back  to  us;  we  need 
ed  a  man  servant  here).  Colonel  Ives  wrote  that  he  was 
amazed  I  should  be  willing  to  trust  a  darky  with  that  great 
bundle  of  money,  but  it  came  safely.  Mr.  Petigru  says  you 
take  your  money  to  market  in  the  market  basket,  and  bring 
home  what  you  buy  in  your  pocket-book. 

February  5th. — When  Lawrence  handed  me  my  hus 
band's  money  (six  hundred  dollars  it  was)  I  said:  "  Now  I 
am  pretty  sure  you  do  not  mean  to  go  to  the  Yankees,  for 
with  that  pile  of  money  in  your  hands  you  must  have  known 
there  was  your  chance. ' '  He  grinned,  but  said  nothing. 

At  the  President 's  reception  Hood  had  a  perfect  ovation. 
General  Preston  navigated  him  through  the  crowd,  hand 
ling  him  as  tenderly,  on  his  crutches,  as  if  he  were  the 
Princess  of  Wales 's  new-born  baby  that  I  read  of  to-day. 
It  is  bad  for  the  head  of  an  army  to  be  so  helpless.  But  old 
Bliicher  went  to  Waterloo  in  a  carriage,  wearing  a  bonnet 
on  his  head  to  shade  his  inflamed  eyes — a  heroic  figure, 
truly;  an  old,  red-eyed,  bonneted  woman,  apparently,  back 
in  a  landau.  And  yet,  "  Bliicher  to  the  rescue!  " 

Afterward  at  the  Prestons',  for  we  left  the  President's 

284 


ONE    OF   SHERIDAN'S   PLAYS 


at  an  early  hour.  Major  von  B  or  eke  was  trying  to  teach 
them  his  way  of  pronouncing  his  own  name,  and  reciting 
numerous  travesties  of  it  in  this  country,  when  Charles 
threw  open  the  door,  saying,  "  A  gentleman  has  called  for 
Major  Bandbox."  The  Prussian  major  acknowledged  this 
to  be  the  worst  he  had  heard  yet. 

Off  to  the  Ives's  theatricals.  I  walked  with  General 
Breckinridge.  Mrs.  Clay's  Mrs.  Malaprop  was  beyond  our 
wildest  hopes.  And  she  was  in  such  bitter  earnest  when  she 
pinched  Conny  Gary's  (Lydia  Languish's)  shoulder  and 
called  her  "  an  antricate  little  huzzy,"  that  Lydia  showed 
she  felt  it,  and  next  day  the  shoulder  was  black  and  blue. 
It  was  not  that  the  actress  had  a  grudge  against  Conny,  but 
that  she  was  intense. 

Even  the  back  of  Mrs.  Clay's  head  was  eloquent  as 
she  walked  away.  "  But,"  said  General  Breckinridge, 
!<  watch  Hood;  he  has  not  seen  the  play  before  and  Bob 
Acres  amazes  him."  W^en  he  caught  my  eye,  General 
Hood  nodded  to  me  and  said,  "  I  believe  that  fellow  Acres 
is  a  coward."  "  That's  better  than  the  play,"  whispered 
Breckinridge,  "  but  it  is  all  good  from  Sir  Anthony  down 
to  Fag." 

Between  the  acts  Mrs.  Clay  sent  us  word  to  applaud. 
She  wanted  encouragement;  the  audience  was  too  cold. 
General  Breckinridge  responded  like  a  man.  After  that 
she  was  fired  by  thunders  of  applause,  following  his  lead. 
Those  mighty  Kentuckians  turned  claqueurs,  were  a  host  in 
themselves.  Constance  Gary  not  only  acted  well,  but 
looked  perfectly  beautiful. 

During  the  farce  Mrs.  Clay  came  in  with  all  her  feath 
ers,  diamonds,  and  fallals,  and  took  her  seat  by  me.  Said 
General  Breckinridge,  '  *  What  a  splendid  head  of  hair  you 
have."  "  And  all  my  own,"  said  she.  Afterward  she  said, 
they  could  not  get  false  hair  enough,  so  they  put  a  pair  of 
black  satin  boots  on  top  of  her  head  and  piled  hair  over 
them. 

285 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

We  adjourned  from  Mrs.  Ives's  to  Mrs.  Quid's,  where 
we  had  the  usual  excellent  Richmond  supper.  We  did  not 
get  home  until  three.  It  was  a  clear  moonlight  night — al 
most  as  light  as  day.  As  we  walked  along  I  said  to  General 
Breckinridge,  "  You  have  spent  a  jolly  evening."  *  I  do 
not  know, ' '  he  answered.  '  *  I  have  asked  myself  more  than 
once  to-night,  '  Are  you  the  same  man  who  stood  gazing 
down  on  the  faces  of  the  dead  on  that  awful  battle-field? 
The  soldiers  lying  there  stare  at  you  with  their  eyes  wide 
open.  Is  this  the  same  world  ?  Here  and  there  ?  ' 

Last  night,  the  great  Kentucky  contingent  came  in  a 
body.  Hood  brought  Buck  in  his  carriage.  She  said  she 
1 '  did  not  like  General  Hood, ' '  and  spoke  with  a  wild  excite 
ment  in  those  soft  blue  eyes  of  hers — or,  are  they  gray  or 
brown  ?  She  then  gave  her  reasons  in  the  lowest  voice,  but 
loud  and  distinct  enough  for  him  to  hear:  '  Why? 
He  spoke  so  harshly  to  Cy,  his  body-servant,  as  we  got  out 
of  the  carriage.  I  saw  how  he  hurt  Cy's  feelings,  and  I 
tried  to  soothe  Cy 's  mortification. ' ' 

' '  You  see,  Cy  nearly  caused  me  to  fall  by  his  awkward 
ness,  and  I  stormed  at  him,"  said  the  General,  vastly 
amused.  "  I  hate  a  man  who  speaks  roughly  to  those  who 
dare  not  resent  it,"  said  she.  The  General  did  own  himself 
charmed  with  her  sentiments,  but  seemed  to  think  his 
wrong-doing  all  a  good  joke.  He  and  Cy  understand  each 
other. 

February  9th. — This  party  for  Johnny  was  the  very 
nicest  I  have  ever  had,  and  I  mean  it  to  be  my  last.  I  sent 
word  to  the  Carys  to  bring  their  own  men.  They  came 
alone,  saying,  * '  they  did  not  care  for  men. "  "  That  means 
a  raid  on  ours, ' '  growled  Isabella.  Mr.  Lamar  was  devoted 
to  Constance  Gary.  He  is  a  free  lance;  so  that  created  no 
heart-burning. 

Afterward,  when  the  whole  thing  was  over,  and  a  suc 
cess,  the  lights  put  out,  etc.,  here  trooped  in  the  four  girls, 
who  stayed  all  night  with  me.  In  dressing-gowns  they 

286 


A   FALSE    ALARM 


stirred  up  a  hot  fire,  relit  the  gas,  and  went  in  for  their  sup 
per;  rechauffe  was  the  word,  oysters,  hot  coffee,  etc.  They 
kept  it  up  till  daylight. 

Of  course,  we  slept  very  late.  As  they  came  in  to 
breakfast,  I  remarked,  "  The  church-bells  have  been  going 
011  like  mad.  I  take  it  as  a  rebuke  to  our  breaking  the  Sab 
bath.  You  know  Sunday  began  at  twelve  o'clock  last 
night."  "  It  sounds  to  me  like  fire-bells,"  somebody  said. 

Soon  the  Infant  dashed  in,  done  up  in  soldier's  clothes: 
* '  The  Yankees  are  upon  us !  "  said  he.  '  *  Don 't  you  hear 
the  alarm-bells  1  They  have  been  ringing  day  and  night !  ' ' 
Alex  Haskell  came;  he  and  Johnny  went  off  to  report  to 
Custis  Lee  and  to  be  enrolled  among  his  "  locals,"  who  are 
always  detailed  for  the  defense  of  the  city.  But  this  time 
the  attack  on  Richmond  has  proved  a  false  alarm. 

A  new  trouble  at  the  President's  house:  their  trusty 
man,  Robert,  broken  out  with  the  smallpox. 

We  went  to  the  Webb  ball,  and  such  a  pleasant  time  we 
had.  After  a  while  the  P.  M.  G.  (Pet  Major-General)  took 
his  seat  in  the  comfortable  chair  next  to  mine,  and  declared 
his  determination  to  hold  that  position.  Mr.  Hunter  and 
Mr.  Benjamin  essayed  to  dislodge  him.  Mrs.  Stanard  said : 
4 '  Take  him  in  the  flirtation  room ;  there  he  will  soon  be  cap 
tured  and  led  away, ' '  but  I  did  not  know  where  that  room 
was  situated.  Besides,  my  bold  Texan  made  a  most  unex 
pected  sally :  * '  I  will  not  go,  and  I  will  prevent  her  from 
going  with  any  of  you. ' '  Supper  was  near  at  hand,  and  Mr. 
Mallory  said:  "  Ask  him  if  the  varioloid  is  not  at  his 
house.  I  know  it  is. "  I  started  as  if  I  were  shot,  and  I  took 
Mr.  Clay's  arm  and  went  in  to  supper,  leaving  the  P.  M.  G. 
to  the  girls.  Venison  and  everything  nice. 

February  12th. — John  Chesnut  had  a  basket  of  cham 
pagne  carried  to  my  house,  oysters,  partridges,  and  other 
good  things,  for  a  supper  after  the  reception.  He  is  going 
back  to  the  army  to-morrow. 

'James  Chesnut  arrived  on  Wednesday.  He  has  been 

287 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

giving  Buck  his  opinion  of  one  of  her  performances  last 
night.  She  was  here,  and  the  General's  carriage  drove  up, 
bringing  some  of  our  girls,  They  told  her  he  could  not 
come  up  and  he  begged  she  would  go  down  there  for  a  mo 
ment.  She  flew  down,  and  stood  ten  minutes  in  that  snow, 
Cy  holding  the  carriage-door  open.  "  But,  Colonel  Ches- 
nut,  there  was  no  harm.  I  was  not  there  ten  minutes.  I 
could  not  get  in  the  carriage  because  I  did  not  mean  to 
stay  one  minute.  He  did  not  hold  my  hands — that  is,  not 
half  the  time —  Oh,  you  saw ! — well,  he  did  kiss  my  hands. 
Where  is  the  harm  of  that?  "  All  men  worship  Buck. 
How  can  they  help  it,  she  is  so  lovely. 

Lawrence  has  gone  back  ignominiously  to  South  Caro 
lina.  At  breakfast  already  in  some  inscrutable  way  he 
had  become  intoxicated;  he  was  told  to  move  a  chair,  and 
he  raised  it  high  over  his  head,  smashing  Mrs.  Grundy's 
chandelier.  My  husband  said :  "  Mary,  do  tell  Lawrence  to 
go  home;  I  am  too  angry  to  speak  to  him."  So  Lawrence 
went  without  another  word.  He  will  soon  be  back,  and 
when  he  comes  will  say,  ' '  Shoo !  I  knew  Mars  Jeems  could 
not  do  without  me. ' '  And  indeed  he  can  not. 

Buck,  reading  my  journal,  opened  her  beautiful  eyes  in 
amazement  and  said:  "  So  little  do  people  know  them 
selves!  See  what  you  say  of  me!  "  I  replied:  "  The  girls 
heard  him  say  to  you,  '  Oh,  you  are  so  childish  and  so 
sweet !  '  Now,  Buck,  you  know  you  are  not  childish.  You 
have  an  abundance  of  strong  common  sense.  Don 't  let  men 
adore  you  so — if  you  can  help  it.  You  are  so  unhappy 
about  men  who  care  for  you,  when  they  are  killed. ' ' 

Isabella  says  that  war  leads  to  love-making.  She  says 
these  soldiers  do  more  courting  here  in  a  day  than  they 
would  do  at  home,  without  a  war,  in  ten  years. 

In  the  pauses  of  conversation,  we  hear,  ' '  She  is  the  no 
blest  woman  God  ever  made!  "  "  Goodness!  "  exclaims 
Isabella.  '  *  Which  one  ?  ' '  The  amount  of  courting  we  hear 
in  these  small  rooms.  Men  have  to  go  to  the  front,  and  they 

288 


CUPID   ON    CRUTCHES 


say  their  say  desperately.  I  am  beginning  to  know  all 
about  it.  The  girls  tell  me.  And  I  overhear — I  can  not 
help  it.  But  this  style  is  unique,  is  it  not  ?  ' '  Since  I  saw 
you — last  year — standing  by  the  turnpike  gate,  you  know — 
my  battle-cry  has  been:  '  God,  my  country,  and  you!  ' 
So  many  are  lame.  Major  Venable  says :  "  It  is  not  '  the 
devil  on  two  sticks/  now;  the  farce  is  '  Cupid  on 
Crutches."7. 

General  Breckinridge 's  voice  broke  in:  "  They  are  my 
cousins.  So  I  determined  to  kiss  them  good-by.  Good-by 
nowadays  is  the  very  devil ;  it  means  forever,  in  all  proba 
bility,  you  know;  all  the  odds  against  us.  So  I  advanced 
to  the  charge  soberly,  discreetly,  and  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord.  The  girls  stood  in  a  row — four  of  the  very  prettiest 
I  ever  saw. ' '  Sam,  with  his  eyes  glued  to  the  floor,  cried : 
"  You  were  afraid — you  backed  out."  "  But  I  did  noth 
ing  of  the  kind.  I  kissed  every  one  of  them  honestly,  heart 
ily." 

February  13th. — My  husband  is  writing  out  some  res 
olutions  for  the  Congress.  He  is  very  busy,  too,  trying 
to  get  some  poor  fellows  reprieved.  He  says  they  are  good 
soldiers  but  got  into  a  scrape.  Buck  came  in.  She  had  on 
her  last  winter's  English  hat,  with  the  pheasant's  wing. 
Just  then  Hood  entered  most  unexpectedly.  Said  the  blunt 
soldier  to  the  girl :  ' '  You  look  mighty  pretty  in  that  hat ; 
you  wore  it  at  the  turnpike  gate,  where  I  surrendered  at 
first  sight."  She  nodded  and  smiled,  and  flew  down  the 
steps  after  Mr.  Chesnut,  looking  back  to  say  that  she  meant 
to  walk  with  him  as  far  as  the  Executive  Office. 

The  General  walked  to  the  window  and  watched  until 
the  last  flutter  of  her  garment  was  gone.  He  said:  "  The 
President  was  finding  fault  with  some  of  his  officers  in 
command,  and  I  said :  '  Mr.  President,  why  don't  you  come 
and  lead  us  yourself ;  I  would  follow  you  to  the  death.  '  ' ' 
1  f  Actually,  if  you  stay  here  in  Richmond  much  longer  you 
will  grow  to  be  a  courtier.  And  you  came  a  rough  Texan." 

289 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

Mrs.  Davis  and  General  McQueen  came.  He  tells  me 
Muscoe  Garnett  is  dead.  Then  the  best  and  the  cleverest 
Virginian  I  know  is  gone.  He  was  the  most  scholarly  man 
they  had,  and  his  character  was  higher  than  his  require 
ments. 

To-day  a  terrible  onslaught  was  made  upon  the  Presi 
dent  for  nepotism.  Burton  Harrison's  and  John  Taylor 
Wood's  letters  denying  the  charge  that  the  President's  cot 
ton  was  unburned,  or  that  he  left  it  to  be  bought  by  the  Yan 
kees,  have  enraged  the  opposition.  How  much  these  people 
in  the  President's  family  have  to  bear!  I  have  never  felt 
so  indignant. 

February  16th. — Saw  in  Mrs.  Howell's  room  the  little 
negro  Mrs.  Davis  rescued  yesterday  from  his  brutal  negro 
guardian.  The  child  is  an  orphan.  He  was  dressed  up  in 
little  Joe's  clothes  and  happy  as  a  lord.  He  was  very  anx 
ious  to  show  me  his  wounds  and  bruises,  but  I  fled.  There 
are  some  things  in  life  too  sickening,  and  cruelty  is  one  of 
them. 

Somebody  said :  ' '  People  who  knew  General  Hood  be 
fore  the  war  said  there  was  nothing  in  him.  As  for  losing 
his  property  by  the  war,  some  say  he  never  had  any,  and 
that  West  Point  is  a  pauper's  school,  after  all.  He  has 
only  military  glory,  and  that  he  has  gained  since  the  war 
began. ' ' 

"  Now,"  said  Burton  Harrison,  "  only  military  glory! 
I  like  that !  The  glory  and  the  fame  he  has  gained  during 
the  war — that  is  Hood.  What  was  Napoleon  before  Toulon  1 
Hood  has  the  impassive  dignity  of  an  Indian  chief.  He  has 
always  a  little  court  around  him  of  devoted  friends.  Wig- 
fall,  himself,  has  said  he  could  not  get  within  Hood 's  lines. ' ' 

February  17th. — Found  everything  in  Main  Street 
twenty  per  cent  dearer.  They  say  it  is  due  to  the  new  cur 
rency  bill. 

I  asked  my  husband :  ' '  Is  General  Johnston  ordered  to 
reenforce  Polk?  They  said  he  did  not  understand  the  or- 

290 


SHERMAN 


der."  "After  five  days'  delay,"  he  replied.  ''They 
say  Sherman  is  marching  to  Mobile.1  When  they  once  get 
inside  of  our  armies  what  is  to  molest  them,  unless  it  be 
women  with  broomsticks'?  ':  General  Johnston  writes  that 
"  the  Governor  of  Georgia  refuses  him  provisions  and  the 
use  of  his  roads. ' '  The  Governor  of  Georgia  writes :  * '  The 
roads  are  open  to  him  and  in  capital  condition.  I  have  fur 
nished  him  abundantly  with  provisions  from  time  to  time, 
as  he  desired  them."  I  suppose  both  of  these  letters  are 
placed  away  side  by  side  in  our  archives. 

February  20th. — Mrs.  Preston  was  offended  by  the  story 
of  Buck's  performance  at  the  Ive's.  General  Breckinridge 
told  her  "  it  was  the  most  beautifully  unconscious  act  he 
ever  saw. ' '  The  General  was  leaning  against  the  wall,  Buck 
standing  guard  by  him  "  on  her  two  feet."  The  crowd 
surged  that  way,  and  she  held  out  her  arm  to  protect  him 
from  the  rush.  After  they  had  all  passed  she  handed  him 
his  crutches,  and  they,  too,  moved  slowly  away.  Mrs.  Davis 
said:  "  Any  woman  in  Richmond  would  have  done  the 
same  joyfully,  but  few  could  do  it  so  gracefully.  Buck  is 
made  so  conspicuous  by  her  beauty,  whatever  she  does  can 
not  fail  to  attract  attention. ' ' 

Johnny  stayed  at  home  only  one  day;  then  went  to  his 
plantation,  got  several  thousand  Confederate  dollars,  and 

in  the  afternoon  drove  out  with  Mrs.  K .  At  the  Bee 

Store  he  spent  a  thousand  of  his  money;  bought  us  gloves 
and  linen.  Well,  one  can  do  without  gloves,  but  linen  is 
next  to  life  itself. 

Yesterday  the  President  walked  home  from  church  with 
me.  He  said  he  was  so  glad  to  see  my  husband  at  church ; 
had  never  seen  him  there  before ;  remarked  on  how  well  he 

1  General  Polk,  commanding  about  24,000  men  scattered  throughout 
Mississippi  and  Alabama,  found  it  impossible  to  check  the  advance  of 
Sherman  at  the  head  of  some  40,000,  and  moved  from  Meridian  south 
to  protect  Mobile.  February  16,  1864,  Sherman  took  possession  of 
Meridian. 

291 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

looked,  etc.  I  replied  that  he  looked  so  well  "  because  you 
have  never  before  seen  him  in  the  part  of  '  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place/  !  My  husband  has  no  fancy  for  being 
planted  in  pews,  but  he  is  utterly  Christian  in  his  creed. 

February  23d. — At  the  President's,  where  General  Lee 
breakfasted,  a  man  named  Phelan  told  General  Lee  all  he 
ought  to  do;  planned  a  campaign  for  him.  General  Lee 
smiled  blandly  the  while,  though  he  did  permit  himself  a 
inild  sneer  at  the  wise  civilians  in  Congress  who  refrained 
from  trying  the  battle-field  in  person,  but  from  afar  dic 
tated  the  movements  of  armies.  My  husband  said  that,  to 
his  amazement,  General  Lee  came  into  his  room  at  the  Exec 
utive  Office  to  * '  pay  his  respects  and  have  a  talk. "  "  Dear 
me!  Goodness  gracious!"  said  I.  "  That  was  a  compli 
ment  from  the  head  of  the  army,  the  very  first  man  in  the 
world,  we  Confederates  think." 

February  24th. — Friends  came  to  make  taffy  and  stayed 
the  livelong  day.  They  played  cards.  One  man,  a  soldier, 
had  only  two  teeth  left  in  front  and  they  lapped  across  each 
other.  On  account  of  the  condition  of  his  mouth,  he  had 
maintained  a  dignified  sobriety  of  aspect,  though  he  told 
some  funny  stories.  Finally  a  story  was  too  much  for  him, 
and  he  grinned  from  ear  to  ear.  Maggie  gazed,  and  then 
called  out  as  the  negro  fiddlers  call  out  dancing  figures, 
'  *  Forward  two  and  cross  over !  ' '  Fancy  pur  faces.  The 
hero  of  the  two  teeth,  relapsing  into  a  decorous  arrange 
ment  of  mouth,  said:  "  Cavalry  are  the  eyes  of  an  army; 
they  bring  the  news ;  the  artillery  are  the  boys  to  make  a 
noise ;  but  the  infantry  do  the  fighting,  and  a  general  or  so 
gets  all  the  glory. ' ' 

February  26th. — We  went  to  see  Mrs.  Breckinridge, 
who  is  here  with  her  husband.  Then  we  paid  our  respects 
to  Mrs.  Lee.  Her  room  was  like  an  industrial  school :  every 
body  so  busy.  Her  daughters  were  all  there  plying  their 
needles,  with  several  other  ladies.  Mrs.  Lee  showed  us  a 
beautiful  sword,  recently  sent  to  the  General  by  some  Mary- 

292 


AT   MRS.    LEKS 


landers,  now  in  Paris.  On  the  blade  was  engraved,  ' '  Aide 
ioi  et  Dieu  t'aidera."  When  we  came  out  someone  said, 
* '  Did  you  see  how  the  Lees  spend  their  time  ?  What  a  re 
buke  to  the  taffy  parties!  " 

Another  maimed  hero  is  engaged  to  be  married.  Sally 
Hampton  has  accepted  John  Haskell.  There  is  a  story  that 
he  reported  for  duty  after  his  arm  was  shot  off ;  suppose  in 
the  fury  of  the  battle  he  did  not  feel  the  pain. 

General  Breckinridge  once  asked,  * '  What 's  the  name  of 
the  fellow  who  has  gone  to  Europe  for  Hood 's  leg  ?  ' :  '  Dr. 
Darby."  "  Suppose  it  is  shipwrecked?  "  "No  matter; 
half  a  dozen  are  ordered. ' '  Mrs.  Preston  raised  her  hands : 
* '  No  wonder  the  General  says  they  talk  of  him  as  if  he  were 
a  centipede ;  his  leg  is  in  everybody 's  mouth. ' ' 

March  3d. — Hetty,  the  handsome,  and  Constance,  the 
witty,  came ;  the  former  too  prudish  to  read  Lost  and  Saved, 
by  Mrs.  Norton,  after  she  had  heard  the  plot.  Conny  was 
making  a  bonnet  for  me.  Just  as  she  was  leaving  the  house, 
her  friendly  labors  over,  my  husband  entered,  and  quickly 
ordered  his  horse.  '  *  It  is  so  near  dinner, ' '  I  began.  ' '  But 
I  am  going  with  the  President.  I  am  on  duty.  He  goes  to 
inspect  the  fortifications.  The  enemy,  once  more,  are  with 
in  a  few  miles  of  Richmond."  Then  we  prepared  a  lunch 
eon  for  him.  Constance  Gary  remained  with  me. 

After  she  left  I  sat  down  to  Romola,  and  I  was  absorbed 
in  it.  How  hardened  we  grow  to  war  and  war 's  alarms ! 
The  enemy 's  cannon  or  our  own  are  thundering  in  my  ears, 
and  I  was  dreadfully  afraid  some  infatuated  and  fright 
ened  friend  would  come  in  to  cheer,  to  comfort,  and  inter 
rupt  me.  Am  I  the  same  poor  soul  who  fell  on  her  knees 
and  prayed,  and  wept,  and  fainted,  as  the  first  gun  boomed 
from  Fort  Sumter  ?  Once  more  we  have  repulsed  the  en 
emy.  But  it  is  humiliating,  indeed,  that  he  can  come 
and  threaten  us  at  our  very  gates  whenever  he  so  pleases. 
If  a  forlorn  negro  had  not  led  them  astray  (and  they 
hanged  him  for  it)  on  Tuesday  night,  unmolested,  they 

293 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,    VA.  April  11,  1864 

would  have  walked  into  Richmond.  Surely  there  is  horrid 
neglect  or  mismanagement  somewhere. 

March  4th. — The  enemy  has  been  reenforced  and  is 
on  us  again.  Met  Wade  Hampton,  who  told  me  my  hus 
band  was  to  join  him  with  some  volunteer  troops ;  so  I  hur 
ried  home.  Such  a  cavalcade  rode  up  to  luncheon!  Cap 
tain  Smith  Lee  and  Preston  Hampton,  the  handsomest,  the 
oldest  and  the  youngest  of  the  party.  This  was  at  the  Pres- 
tons'.  Smith  Lee  walked  home  with  me;  alarm-bells  ring 
ing;  horsemen  galloping;  wagons  rattling.  Dr.  H.  stopped 
us  to  say  '  *  Beast  ' '  Butler  was  on  us  with  sixteen  thousand 
men.  How  scared  the  Doctor  looked !  And,  after  all,  it  was 
only  a  notice  to  the  militia  to  turn  out  and  drill. 

March  5th. — Tom  Fergurson  walked  home  with  me.  He 
told  me  of  Colonel  Dahlgren's  1  death  and  the  horrid  memo 
randa  found  in  his  pocket.  He  came  with  secret  orders  to 
destroy  this  devoted  city,  hang  the  President  and  his  Cab 
inet,  and  burn  the  town !  Fitzhugh  Lee  was  proud  that  the 
Ninth  Virginia  captured  him. 

Found  Mrs.  Semmes  covering  her  lettuces  and  radishes 
as  calmly  as  if  Yankee  raiders  were  a  myth.  While 
"  Beast  "  Butler  holds  Fortress  Monroe  he  will  make 
things  lively  for  us.  On  the  alert  must  we  be  now. 

March  7th. — Shopping,  and  paid  $30  for  a  pair  of 
gloves;  $50  for  a  pair  of  slippers;  $24  for  six  spools  of 
thread;  $32  for  five  miserable,  shabby  little  pocket  hand 
kerchiefs.  When  I  came  home  found  Mrs.  Webb.  At  her 
hospital  there  was  a  man  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by 
Dahlgren  's  party.  He  saw  the  negro  hanged  who  had  mis- 

1  Colonel  Ulric  Dahlgren  was  a  son  of  the  noted  Admiral,  John  H. 
Dahlgren,  who,  in  July,  1863,  had  been  placed  in  command  of  the  South 
Atlantic  Blockading  Squadron  and  conducted  the  naval  operations 
against  Charleston,  between  July  10  and  September  7,  1863.  Colonel 
Dahlgren  distinguished  himself  at  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville, 
and  Gettysburg.  The  raid  in  which  he  lost  his  life  on  March  4,  1864, 
was  planned  by  himself  and  General  Kilpatrick. 

294 


DAHLGREN'S    RAID 


led  them,  unintentionally,  in  all  probability.  He  saw  Dahl- 
gren  give  a  part  of  his  bridle  to  hang  him.  Details  are  mel 
ancholy,  as  Emerson  says.  This  Dahlgren  had  also  lost  a 
leg. 

Constance  Gary,  in  words  too  fine  for  the  occasion,  de 
scribed  the  homely  scene  at  my  house ;  how  I  prepared  sand 
wiches  for  my  husband;  and  broke,  with  trembling  hand, 
the  last  bottle  of  anything  to  drink  in  the  house,  a  bottle  I 
destined  to  go  with  the  sandwiches.  She  called  it  a  Hector 
and  Andromache  performance. 

March  8th. — Mrs.  Preston's  story.  As  we  walked  home, 
she  told  me  she  had  just  been  to  see  a  lady  she  had  known 
more  than  twenty  years  before.  She  had  met  her  in  this 
wise:  One  of  the  chambermaids  of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel 
(New  Orleans)  told  Mrs.  Preston's  nurse — it  was  when 
Mary  Preston  was  a  baby — that  up  among  the  servants  in 
the  garret  there  was  a  sick  lady  and  her  children.  The  maid 
was  sure  she  was  a  lady,  and  thought  she  was  hiding  from 
somebody.  Mrs.  Preston  went  up,  knew  the  lady,  had 
her  brought  down  into  comfortable  rooms,  and  nursed  her 
until  she  recovered  from  her  delirium  and  fever.  She  had 
run  away,  indeed,  and  was  hiding  herself  and  her  children 
from  a  worthless  husband.  Now,  she  has  one  son  in  a  Yan 
kee  prison,  one  mortally  wounded,  and  the  last  of  them 
dying  there  under  her  eyes  of  consumption.  This  last  had 
married  here  in  Richmond,  not  wisely,  and  too  soon,  for  he 
was  a  mere  boy;  his  pay  as  a  private  was  eleven  dollars  a 
month,  and  his  wife's  family  charged  him  three  hundred 
dollars  a  month  for  her  board;  so  he  had  to  work  double 
tides,  do  odd  jobs  by  night  and  by  day,  and  it  killed  him  by 
exposure  to  cold  in  this  bitter  climate  to  which  his  constitu 
tion  was  unadapted. 

They  had  been  in  Vicksburg  during  the  siege,  and  dur 
ing  the  bombardment  sought  refuge  in  a  cave.  The  roar  of 
the  cannon  ceasing,  they  came  out  gladly  for  a  breath  of 
fresh  air.  At  the  moment  when  they  emerged,  a  bomb  burst 

295 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

there,  among  them,  so  to  speak,  struck  the  son  already 
wounded,  and  smashed  off  the  afm  of  a  beautiful  little 
grandchild  not  three  years  old.  There  was  this  poor  little 
girl  with  her  touchingly  lovely  face,  and  her  arm  gone.  This 
mutilated  little  martyr,  Mrs.  Preston  said,  was  really  to  her 
the  crowning  touch  of  the  woman 's  affliction.  Mrs.  Preston 
put  up  her  hand,  * l  Her  baby  face  haunts  me. ' ' 

March  llth. — Letters  from  home,  including  one  from 
my  husband 's  father,  now  over  ninety,  written  with  his  own 
hand,  and  certainly  his  own  mind  still.  I  quote:  "  Bad 
times;  worse  coming.  Starvation  stares  me  in  the  face. 
Neither  John's  nor  James's  overseer  will  sell  me  any  corn." 
Now,  what  has  the  government  to  do  with  the  fact  that  on 
all  his  plantations  he  made  corn  enough  to  last  for  the 
whole  year,  and  by  the  end  of  January  his  negroes  had 
stolen  it  all?  Poor  old  man,  he  has  fallen  on  evil  days, 
after  a  long  life  of  ease  and  prosperity. 

To-day,  I  read  The  Blithedale  Romance.  Blithedale 
leaves  such  an  unpleasant  impression.  I  like  pleasant, 
kindly  stories,  now  that  we  are  so  harrowed  by  real  life. 
Tragedy  is  for  our  hours  of  ease. 

March  12th. — An  active  campaign  has  begun  every 
where.  Kilpatrick  still  threatens  us.  Bragg  has  organized 
his  fifteen  hundred  of  cavalry  to  protect  Richmond.  Why 
can't  my  husband  be  made  colonel  of  that?  It  is  a  new 
regiment.  No ;  he  must  be  made  a  general ! 

"  Now,"  says  Mary  Preston,  "  Doctor  Darby  is  at  the 
mercy  of  both  Yankees  and  the  rolling  sea,  and  I  am  anx 
ious  enough;  but,  instead  of  taking  my  bed  and  worrying 
mamma,  I  am  taking  stock  of  our  worldly  goods  and  try 
ing  to  arrange  the  wedding  paraphernalia  for  two  girls. ' ' 

There  is  love-making  and  love-making  in  this  world. 
What  a  time  the  sweethearts  of  that  wretch,  young  Shake 
speare,  must  have  had.  What  experiences  of  life 's  delights 
must  have  been  his  before  he  evolved  the  Romeo  and  Juliet 
business  from  his  own  internal  consciousness;  also  that  de- 

296 


POETS   AS   LOVERS 


licious  Beatrice  and  Rosalind.  The  poor  creature  that  he 
left  his  second  best  bedstead  to  came  in  second  best  all  the 
time,  no  doubt ;  and  she  hardly  deserved  more.  Fancy  peo 
ple  wondering  that  Shakespeare  and  his  kind  leave  no  prog 
eny  like  themselves!  Shakespeare's  children  would  have 
been  half  his  only ;  the  other  half  only  the  second  best  bed 
stead 's.  What  would  you  expect  of  that  commingling  of 
materials?  Goethe  used  his  lady-loves  as  school-books  are 
used:  he  studied  them  from  cover  to  cover,  got  all  that 
could  be  got  of  self-culture  and  knowledge  of  human  nature 
from  the  study  of  them,  and  then  threw  them  aside  as  if  of 
no  further  account  in  his  life. 

Byron  never  could  forget  Lord  Byron,  poet  and  peer, 
and  mauvais  sujet,  and  he  must  have  been  a  trying  lover; 
like  talking  to  a  man  looking  in  the  glass  at  himself.  Lady 
Byron  was  just  as  much  taken  up  with  herself.  So,  they 
struck  each  other,  and  bounded  apart. 

[Since  I  wrote  this,  Mrs.  Stowe  has  taken  Byron  in  hand. 
But  I  know  a  story  which  might  have  annoyed  my  lord 
more  than  her  and  Lady  Byron's  imagination  of  wicked 
ness — for  he  posed  a  fiend,  but  was  tender  and  kind.  A 
clerk  in  a  country  store  asked  my  sister  to  lend  him  a 
book,  he  "  wanted  something  to  read;  the  days  were  so 
long. "  "  What  style  of  book  would  you  prefer  ?  ' '  she  said. 
11  Poetry."  "  Any  particular  poet?  "  "  Brown.  I  hear 
him  much  spoken  of."  "  Browm'wgr?  "  "  No;  Brown — 
short — that  is  what  they  call  him. "  "  Byron,  you  mean. ' ' 
"  No,  I  mean  the  poet,  Brown."] 

' '  Oh,  you  wish  you  had  lived  in  the  time  of  the  Shake 
speare  creature !  ' :  He  knew  all  the  forms  and  phases  of 
true  love.  Straight  to  one's  heart  he  goes  in  tragedy  or 
comedy.  He  never  misses  fire.  He  has  been  there,  in  slang 
phrase.  No  doubt  the  man 's  bare  presence  gave  pleasure  to 
the  female  world ;  he  saw  women  at  their  best,  and  he  ef 
faced  himself.  He  told  no  tales  of  his  own  life.  Compare 
with  him  old,  sad,  solemn,  sublime,  sneering,  snarling,  fault- 

297 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  18Gi 

finding  Milton,  a  man  whose  family  doubtless  found  "  les 
absences  delicieuses."  That  phrase  describes  a  type  of  man 
at  a  touch ;  it  took  a  Frenchwoman  to  do  it. 

' '  But  there  is  an  Italian  picture  of  Milton,  taken  in  his 
youth,  and  he  was  as  beautiful  as  an  angel."  "  No  doubt. 
But  love  flies  before  everlasting  posing  and  preaching — the 
deadly  requirement  of  a  man  always  to  be  looked  up  to 
— a  domestic  tyrant,  grim,  formal,  and  awfully  learned. 
Milton  was  only  a  mere  man,  for  he  could  not  do  without 
women.  When  he  tired  out  the  first  poor  thing,  who  did 
not  fall  down,  worship,  and  obey  him,  and  see  God  in  him, 
and  she  ran  away,  he  immediately  arranged  his  creed  so 
that  he  could  take  another  wife ;  for  wife  he  must  have,  a 
la  Mohammedan  creed.  The  deer-stealer  never  once 
thought  of  justifying  theft  simply  because  he  loved  venison 
and  could  not  come  by  it  lawfully.  Shakespeare  was  a  bet 
ter  man,  or,  may  I  say,  a  purer  soul,  than  self -upholding, 
Calvinistic,  Puritanic,  king-killing  Milton.  There  is  no 
muddling  of  right  and  wrong  in  Shakespeare,  and  no  phari- 
saical  stuff  of  any  sort. ' ' 

Then  George  Deas  joined  us,  fresh  from  Mobile,  where 
he  left  peace  and  plenty.  He  went  to  sixteen  weddings  and 
twenty-seven  tea-parties.  For  breakfast  he  had  everything 
nice.  Lily  told  of  what  she  had  seen  the  day  before  at  the 
Spottswood.  She  was  in  the  small  parlor,  waiting  for  some 
one,  and  in  the  large  drawing-room  sat  Hood,  solitary,  sad, 
with  crutches  by  his  chair.  He  could  not  see  them.  Mrs. 
Buckner  came  in  and  her  little  girl  who,  when  she  spied 
Hood,  bounded  into  the  next  room,  and  sprang  into  his  lap. 
Hood  smoothed  her  little  dress  down  and  held  her  close  to 
him.  She  clung  around  his  neck  for  a  while,  and  then, 
seizing  him  by  the  beard,  kissed  him  to  an  illimitable  extent. 
"  Prettiest  picture  I  ever  saw,"  said  Lily.  "  The  soldier 
and  the  child." 

John  R.  Thompson  sent  me  a  New  York  Herald  only 
three  days  old.  It  is  down  on  Kilpatrick  for  his  miserable 

298 


FOURTEEN  GENERALS  AT  CHURCH 

failure  before  Richmond.  Also  it  acknowledges  a  defeat 
before  Charleston  and  a  victory  for  us  in  Florida. 

General  Grant  is  charmed  with  Sherman's  successful 
movements ;  says  he  has  destroyed  millions  upon  millions  of 
our  property  in  Mississippi.  I  hope  that  may  not  be  true, 
and  that  Sherman  may  fail  as  Kilpatrick  did.  Now,  if  we 
still  had  Stonewall  or  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  where  Joe 
Johnston  and  Polk  are,  I  would  not  give  a  fig  for  Sherman's 
chances.  The  Yankees  say  that  at  last  they  have  scared  up 
a  man  who  succeeds,  and  they  expect  him  to  remedy  all  that 
has  gone  wrong.  So  they  have  made  their  brutal  Suwarrow, 
Grant,  lieutenant-general. 

Doctor at  the  Prestons '  proposed  to  show  me  a  man 

who  was  not  an  F.  F.  V.  Until  we  came  here,  we  had  never 
heard  of  our  social  position.  We  do  not  know  how  to  be 
rude  to  people  who  call.  To  talk  of  social  position  seems 
vulgar.  Down  our  way,  that  sort  of  thing  was  settled  one 
way  or  another  beyond  a  peradventure,  like  the  earth  and 
the  sky.  We  never  gave  it  a  thought.  We  talked  to  whom 
we  pleased,  and  if  they  were  not  comme  il  faut,  we  were 
ever  so  much  more  polite  to  the  poor  things.  No  reflection 
on  Virginia.  Everybody  comes  to  Richmond. 

Somebody  counted  fourteen  generals  in  church  to-day, 
and  suggested  that  less  piety  and  more  drilling  of  com 
mands  would  suit  the  times  better.  There  were  Lee,  Long- 
street,  Morgan,  Hoke,  Clingman,  Whiting,  Pegram,  Elzey, 
Gordon,  and  Bragg.  Now,  since  Dahlgren  failed  to 
carry  out  his  orders,  the  Yankees  disown  them,  disavow 
ing  all.  He  was  not  sent  here  to  murder  us  all,  to  hang 
the  President,  and  burn  the  town.  There  is  the  note-book, 
however,  at  the  Executive  Office,  with  orders  to  hang  and 
burn. 

March  15th. — Old  Mrs.  Chesnut  is  dead.  A  saint  is  gone 
and  James  Chesnut  is  broken-hearted.  He  adored  his  moth 
er.  I  gave  $375  for  my  mourning,  which  consists  of  a  black 
alpaca  dress  and  a  crape  veil.  With  bonnet,  gloves,  and  all 
21  299 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

it  eame  to  $500.  Before  the  blockade  such  things  as  I 
have  would  not  have  been  thought  "fit  for  a  chamber-maid. 

Everybody  is  in  trouble.  Mrs.  Davis  says  paper  money 
has  depreciated  so  much  in  value  that  they  can  not  live 
within  their  income ;  so  they  are  going  to  dispense  with  their 
carriage  and  horses. 

March  18th. — Went  out  to  sell  some  of  my  colored 
dresses.  What  a  scene  it  was — such  piles  of  rubbish,  and 
mixed  up  with  it,  such  splendid  Parisian  silks  and  satins. 
A  mulatto  woman  kept  the  shop  under  a  roof  in  an  out-of- 
the-way  old  house.  The  ci-devant  rich  white  women  sell 
to,  and  the  negroes  buy  of,  this  woman. 

After  some  whispering  among  us  Buck  said :  ' '  Sally  is 
going  to  marry  a  man  who  has  lost  an  arm,  and  she  is  proud 
of  it.  The  cause  glorifies  such  wounds. ' '  Annie  said  meekly, 
"  I  fear  it  will  be  my  fate  to  marry  one  who  has  lost  his 
head/'  "  Tudy  has  her  eyes  on  one  who  has  lost  an  eye. 
What  a  glorious  assortment  of  noble  rnartj^rs  and  heroes !  ' ' 
"  The  bitterness  of  this  kind  of  talk  is  appalling." 

General  Lee  had  tears  in  his  eyes  when  he  spoke  of  his 
daughter-in-law  just  dead — that  lovely  little  Charlotte 
Wickham,  Mrs.  Roony  Lee.  Roony  Lee  says  "  Beast  "  But 
ler  was  very  kind  to  him  while  he  was  a  prisoner.  The 
"  Beast  "  has  sent  him  back  his  war-horse.  The  Lees  are 
men  enough  to  speak  the  truth  of  friend  or  enemy,  fearing 
not  the  consequences. 

March  19th. — A  new  experience:  Molly  and  Lawrence 
have  both  gone  home,  and  I  am  to  be  left  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  hired  servants.  Mr.  Ches- 
nut,  being  in  such  deep  mourning  for  his  mother,  we  see  no 
company.  I  have  a  maid  of  all  work. 

Tudy  came  with  an  account  of  yesterday's  trip  to  Pe 
tersburg.  Constance  Gary  raved  of  the  golden  ripples  in 
Tudy's  hair.  Tudy  vanished  in  a  halo  of  glory,  and  Con 
stance  Gary  gave  me  an  account  of  a  wedding,  as  it  was 
given  to  her  by  Major  von  Borcke.  The  bridesmaids  were 

300 


RETURNED    PRISONERS 


dressed  in  black,  the  bride  in  Confederate  gray,  homespun. 
She  had  worn  the  dress  all  winter,  but  it  had  been  washed 
and  turned  for  the  wedding.  The  female  critics  pronounced 
it  "  flabby-dabby."  They  also  said  her  collar  was  only 
"  net,"  and  she  wore  a  cameo  breastpin.  Her  bonnet  was 
self-made. 

March  24th. — Yesterday, we  went  to  the  Capitol  grounds 
to  see  our  returned  prisoners.  We  walked  slowly  up  and 
down  until  Jeff  Davis  was  called  upon  to  speak.  There  I 
stood,  almost  touching  the  bayonets  when  he  left  me.  I 
looked  straight  into  the  prisoners '  faces,  poor  fellows.  They 
cheered  with  all  their  might,  and  I  wept  for  sympathy,  and 
enthusiasm.  I  was  very  deeply  moved.  These  men  were 
so  forlorn,  so  dried  up,  and  shrunken,  vrith  such  a  strange 
look  in  some  of  their  eyes ;  others  so  restless  and  wild-look 
ing  ;  others  again  placidly  vacant,  as  if  they  had  been  dead 
to  the  world  for  years.  A  poor  woman  was  too  much  for 
me.  She  was  searching  for  her  son.  He  had  been  expected 
back.  She  said  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Gettysburg.  She 
kept  going  in  and  out  among  them  with  a  basket  of  provi 
sions  she  had  brought  for  him  to  eat.  It  was  too  pitiful. 
She  was  utterly  unconscious  of  the  crowd.  The  anxious 
dread,  expectation,  hurry,  and  hope  which  led  her  on 
showed  in  her  face. 

A  sister  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  is  here.  She  brings  the  fresh 
est  scandals  from  Yankeeland.  She  says  she  rode  with 
Lovejoy.  A  friend  of  hers  commands  a  black  regiment. 
Two  Southern  horrors — a  black  regiment  and  Lovejoy. 

March  31st. — Met  Preston  Hampton.  Constance  Cary 
was  with  me.  She  showed  her  regard  for  him  by  taking  his 
overcoat  and  leaving  him  in  a  drenching  rain.  What  boy 
ish  nonsense  he  talked ;  said  he  was  in  love  with  Miss  Dab- 
ney  now,  that  his  love  was  so  hot  within  him  that  he  was 
waterproof,  the  rain  sizzed  and  smoked  off.  It  did  not  so 
much  as  dampen  his  ardor  or  his  clothes. 

April  1st. — Mrs.  Davis  is  utterly  depressed.  She  said 

301 


Nov.  28,  1863  RICHMOND,     VA.  April  11,  1864 

the  fall  of  Richmond  must  come ;  she  would  send  her  chil 
dren  to  me  and  Mrs.  Preston.  We  begged  her  to  come  to  us 
also.  My  husband  is  as  depressed  as  I  ever  knew  him  to  be. 
He  has  felt  the  death  of  that  angel  mother  of  his  keenly, 
and  now  he  takes  his  country 's  woes  to  heart. 

April  llth. — Drove  with  Mrs.  Davis  and  all  her  infant 
family;  wonderfully  clever  and  precocious  children,  with 
unbroken  wills.  At  one  time  there  was  a  sudden  uprising 
of  the  nursery  contingent.  They  laughed,  fought,  and 
screamed.  Bedlam  broke  loose.  Mrs.  Davis  scolded, 
laughed,  and  cried.  She  asked  me  if  my  husband  would 
speak  to  the  President  about  the  plan  in  South  Carolina, 
which  everybody  said  suited  him.  ' '  No,  Mrs.  Davis, ' '  said 
I.  "  That  is  what  I  told  Mr.  Davis,"  said  she.  "  Colonel 
Chesnut  rides  so  high  a  horse.  Now  Browne  is  so  much 
more  practical.  He  goes  forth  to  be  general  of  conscripts 
in  Georgia.  His  wife  will  stay  at  the  Cobbs  's. ' ' 

Mrs.  Ould  gave  me  a  luncheon  on  Saturday.  I  felt  that 
this  was  my  last  sad  farewell  to  Richmond  and  the  people 
there  I  love  so  well.  Mrs.  Davis  sent  her  carriage  for  me, 
and  we  went  to  the  Quids '  together.  Such  good  things  were 
served — oranges,  guava  jelly,  etc.  The  Examiner  says  Mr. 
Ould,  when  he  goes  to  Fortress  Monroe,  replenishes  his 
larder;  why  not?  The  Examiner  has  taken  another  fling 
at  the  President,  as,  "  haughty  and  austere  with  his 
friends,  affable,  kind,  subservient  to  his  enemies."  I  won 
der  if  the  Yankees  would  indorse  that  certificate.  Both 
sides  abuse  him.  He  can  not  please  anybody,  it  seems.  No 
doubt  he  is  right. 

My  husband  is  now  brigadier-general  and  is  sent  to 
South  Carolina  to  organize  and  take  command  of  the  re 
serve  troops.  C.  C.  Clay  and  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar  are  both 
spoken  of  to  fill  the  vacancy  made  among  Mr.  Davis 's  aides 
by  this  promotion. 

To-day,  Captain  Smith  Lee  spent  the  morning  here  and 
gave  a  review  of  past  Washington  gossip.  I  am  having 

302 


FAREWELL    TO    RICHMOND 


such  a  busy,  happy  life,  with  so  many  friends,  and  my 
friends  are  so  clever,  so  charming.  But  the  change  to  that 
weary,  dreary  Camden!  Mary  Preston  said:  "  I  do  think 
Mrs.  Chesnut  deserves  to  be  canonized;  she  agrees  to  go 
back  to  Camden."  The  Prestons  gave  me  a  farewell  din 
ner;  my  twenty-fourth  wedding  day,  and  the  very  pleas- 
antest  day  I  have  spent  in  Richmond. 

Maria  Lewis  was  sitting  with  us  on  Mrs.  Huger's  steps, 
and  Smith  Lee  was  lauding  Virginia  people  as  usual.  As 
Lee  would  say,  there  *  *  hove  in  sight  ' '  Frank  Parker,  rid 
ing  one  of  the  finest  of  General  Bragg 's  horses ;  by  his  side 
Buck  on  Fairfax,  the  most  beautiful  horse  in  Richmond, 
his  brown  coat  looking  like  satin,  his  proud  neck  arched, 
moving  slowly,  gracefully,  calmly,  no  fidgets,  aristocratic 
in  his  bearing  to  the  tips  of  his  bridle-reins.  There  sat 
Buck  tall  and  fair,  managing  her  horse  with  infinite  ease, 
her  English  riding-habit  showing  plainly  the  exquisite  pro 
portions  of  her  figure.  "  Supremely  lovely,"  said  Smith 
Lee.  "  Look  at  them  both,"  said  I  proudly;  "  can  you 
match  those  two  in  Virginia?  "  "  Three  cheers  for  South 
Carolina!  "  was  the  answer  of  Lee,  the  gallant  Virginia 
sailor. 


303 


XVII 

CAMDEN,    S.    C. 
May  8,  1864— June  I,  1864 

AMDEN,  S.  C.,  May  8,  1864.— My  -friends  crowded 
around  me  so  in  those  last  days  in  Richmond,  I  for 
got  the  affairs  of  this  nation  utterly ;  though  I  did 
show  faith  in  my  Confederate  country  by  buying  poor 
Bones 's  (my  English  maid's)  Confederate  bonds.  I  gave 
her  gold  thimbles,  bracelets ;  whatever  was  gold  and  would 
sell  in  New  York  or  London,  I  gave. 

My  friends  in  Richmond  grieved  that  I  had  to  leave 
them — not  half  so  much,  however,  as  I  did  that  I  must 
come  away.  Those  last  weeks  were  so  pleasant.  No  battle, 
no  murder,  no  sudden  death,  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage 
bell.  Clever,  cordial,  kind,  brave  friends  rallied  around 
me. 

Maggie  Howell  and  I  went  down  the  river  to  see  an 
exchange  of  prisoners.  Our  party  were  the  Lees,  Mallorys, 
Mrs.  Buck  Allan,  Mrs.  Ould.  We  picked  up  Judge  Ould 
and  Buck  Allan  at  Curl's  Neck.  I  had  seen  no  genuine 
Yankees  before ;  prisoners,  well  or  wounded,  had  been  Ger 
man,  Scotch,  or  Irish.  Among  our  men  coming  ashore  was 
an  officer,  who  had  charge  of  some  letters  for  a  friend  of 
mine  whose  fiance  had  died ;  I  gave  him  her  address.  One 
other  man  showed  me  some  wonderfully  ingenious  things 
he  had  made  while  a  prisoner.  One  said  they  gave  him  ra 
tions  for  a  week ;  he  always  devoured  them  in  three  days,  he 
could  not  help  it;  and  then  he  had  to  bear  the  inevitable 
agony  of  those  four  remaining  days !  Many  were  wounded, 

304 


LITTLE   JOE   DAVIDS   DEATH 


some  were  maimed  for  life.  They  were  very  cheerful.  We 
had  supper — or  some  nondescript  meal — with  ice-cream 
on  board.  The  band  played  Home,  Sweet  Home. 

One  man  tapped  another  on  the  shoulder :  ' '  Well,  how 
do  you  feel,  old  fellow?  "  "  Never  was  so  near  crying  in 
my  life — for  very  comfort." 

Governor  Cummings,  a  Georgian,  late  Governor  of  Utah, 
was  among  the  returned  prisoners.  He  had  been  in  prison 
two  years.  His  wife  was  with  him.  He  was  a  striking- 
looking  person,  huge  in  size,  and  with  snow-white  hair,  fat 
as  a  prize  ox,  with  no  sign  of  Yankee  barbarity  or  starva 
tion  about  him. 

That  evening,  as  we  walked  up  to  Mrs.  Davis 's  carriage, 
which  was  waiting  for  us  at  the  landing,  Dr.  Garnett 
with  Maggie  Howell,  Major  Hall  with  me,  suddenly  I  heard 
her  scream,  and  some  one  stepped  back  in  the  dark  and 
said  in  a  whisper.  "  Little  Joe!  he  has  killed  him 
self!  ':  I  felt  reeling,  faint,  bewildered.  A  chattering 
woman  clutched  my  arm:  "  Mrs.  Davis 's  son?  Impossible. 
Whom  did  you  say?  Was  he  an  interesting  child?  How 
old  was  he?  ':  The  shock  was  terrible,  and  unnerved  as 
I  was  I  cried,  * '  For  God 's  sake  take  her  away !  ' : 

Then  Maggie  and  I  drove  two  long  miles  in  silence  ex 
cept  for  Maggie 's  hysterical  sobs.  She  was  wild  with  'ter 
ror.  The  news  was  broken  to  her  in  that  abrupt  way  at  the 
carriage  door  so  that  at  first  she  thought  it  had  all  hap 
pened  there,  and  that  poor  little  Joe  was  in  the  carriage. 

Mr.  Burton  Harrison  met  us  at  the  door  of  the  Execu 
tive  Mansion.  Mrs.  Semmes  and  Mrs.  Barksdale  were  there, 
too.  Every  window  and  door  of  the  house  seemed  wide 
open,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  the  curtains.  It  was  light 
ed,  even  in  the  third  story.  As  I  sat  in  the  drawing-room,  I 
could  hear  the  tramp  of  Mr.  Davis 's  step  as  he  walked  up 
and  down  the  room  above.  Not  another  sound.  The  whole 
house  as  silent  as  death.  It  was  then  twelve  o'clock;  so  I 
went  home  and  waked  General  Chesnut,  who  had  gone 

305 


May  8,  1864  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  June  1,  1864 

to  bed.  We  went  immediately  back  to  the  President's, 
found  Mrs.  Semmes  still  tkere,  but  saw  no  one  but  her. 
We  thought  some  friends  of  the  family  ought  to  be  in  the 
house. 

Mrs.  Semmes  said  when  she  got  there  that  little  Jeff 
was  kneeling  down  by  his  brother,  and  he  called  out  to  her 
in  great  distress :  *  *  Mrs.  Semmes,  I  have  said  all  the  pray 
ers  I  know  how,  but  God  will  not  wake  Joe. ' ' 

Poor  little  Joe,  the  good  child  of  the  family,  was  so  gen 
tle  and  affectionate.  He  used  to  run  in  to  say  his  prayers  at 
his  father's  knee.  Now  he  was  laid  out  somewhere  above  us, 
crushed  and  killed.  Mrs.  Semmes,  describing  the  accident, 
said  he  fell  from  the  high  north  piazza  upon  a  brick  pave 
ment.  Before  I  left  the  house  I  saw  him  lying  there,  white 
and  beautiful  as  an  angel,  covered  with  flowers ;  Catherine, 
his  nurse,  flat  on  the  floor  by  his  side,  was  weeping  and  wail 
ing  as  only  an  Irishwoman  can. 

Immense  crowds  came  to  the  funeral,  everybody  sympa 
thetic,  but  some  shoving  and  pushing  rudely.  There  were 
thousands  of  children,  and  each  child  had  a  green  bough  or 
a  bunch  of  flowers  to  throw  on  little  Joe 's  grave,  which  was 
already  a  mass  of  white  flowers,  crosses,  and  evergreens. 
The  morning  I  came  away  from  Mrs.  Davis 's,  early  as  it 
was,  I  met  a  little  child  with  a  handful  of  snow  drops. 
' '  Put  these  on  little  Joe, ' '  she  said ;  * '  I  knew  him  so  well, ' ' 
and  then  she  turned  and  fled  without  another  word.  I  did 
not  know  who  she  was  then  or  now. 

As  I  walked  home  I  met  Mr.  Reagan,  then  Wade  Hamp 
ton.  But  I  could  see  nothing  but  little  Joe  and  his  broken 
hearted  mother.  And  Mr.  Davis 's  step  still  sounded  in  rny 
ears  as  he  walked  that  floor  the  livelong  night. 

General  Lee  was  to  have  a  grand  review  the  very  day  we 
left  Richmond.  Great  numbers  of  people  were  to  go  up  by 
rail  to  see  it.  Miss  Turner  McFarland  writes :  * '  They  did 
go,  but  they  came  back  faster  than  they  went.  They  found 
the  army  drawn  up  in  battle  array."  Many  of  the  brave 

306 


A    COOL    RECEPTION 


and  gay  spirits  that  we  saw  so  lately  have  taken  flight,  the 
only  flight  they  know,  and  their  bodies  are  left  dead  upon 
the  battle-field.  Poor  old  Edward  Johnston  is  wounded 
again,  and  a  prisoner.  Jones 's  brigade  broke  first ;  he  was 
wounded  the  day  before. 

At  Wilmington  we  met  General  Whiting.  He  sent  us  to 
the  station  in  his  carriage,  and  bestowed  upon  us  a  bottle  of 
brandy,  which  had  run  the  blockade.  They  say  Beauregard 
has  taken  his  sword  from  Whiting.  Never !  I  will  not  be 
lieve  it.  At  the  capture  of  Fort  Sumter  they  said  Whiting 
was  the  brains,  Beauregard  only  the  hand.  Lucifer,  son  of 
the  morning!  How  art  thou  fallen!  That  they  should 
even  say  such  a  thing! 

My  husband  and  Mr.  Covey  got  out  at  Florence  to  pro 
cure  for  Mrs.  Miles  a  cup  of  coffee.  They  were  slow  about 
it  and  they  got  left.  I  did  not  mind  this  so  very  much,  for 
I  remembered  that  we  were  to  remain  all  day  at  Kingsville, 
and  that  my  husband  could  overtake  me  there  by  the  next 
train.  My  maid  belonged  to  the  Prestons.  She  wTas  only 
traveling  home  with  me,  and  would  go  straight  on  to  Colum 
bia.  So  without  fear  I  stepped  off  at  Kingsville.  My  old 
Confederate  silk,  like  most  Confederate  dresses,  had  seen 
better  days,  and  I  noticed  that,  like  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes 's  famous  "  one-hoss  shay,"  it  had  gone  to  pieces 
suddenly,  and  all  over.  It  was  literally  in  strips.  I  became 
painfully  aware  of  my  forlorn  aspect  when  I  asked  the  tele 
graph  man  the  way  to  the  hotel,  and  he  was  by  no  means  re 
spectful  to  me.  I  was,  indeed,  alone — an  old  and  not  too  re 
spectable-looking  woman.  It  was  my  first  appearance  in 
the  character,  and  I  laughed  aloud. 

A  very  haughty  and  highly  painted  dame  greeted  me 
at  the  hotel.  "  No  room,"  said  she.  "  Who  are  you?  " 
I  gave  my  name.  ' '  Try  something  else, ' '  said  she.  ' '  Mrs. 
Chesnut  don 't  travel  round  by  herself  with  no  servants  and 
no  nothing. ' '  I  looked  down.  There  I  was,  dirty,  tired,  tat 
tered,  and  torn.  "  Where  do  you  come  from?  "  said  she. 

307 


May  8,  1864  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  June  1,  1864 

"  My  home  is  in  Camden."  "  Come,  now,  I  know  every 
body  in  Camden."  I  sat  down  meekly  on  a  bench  in  the 
piazza,  that  was  free  to  all  wayfarers. 

11  Which  Mrs.  ChesnuU  "  said  she  (sharply).  "I 
know  both. "  "I  am  now  the  only  one.  And  now  what  is 
the  matter  with  you  ?  Do  you  take  me  for  a  spy  ?  I  know 
you  perfectly  well.  I  went  to  school  with  you  at  Miss  Hen 
rietta  de  Leon's,  and  my  name  was  Mary  Miller."  *  The 
Lord  sakes  alive!  and  to  think  you  are  her!  Now  I  see. 
Dear!  dear  me!  Heaven  sakes,  woman,  but  you  are 
broke!  ':  "  And  tore,"  I  added,  holding  up  my  dress. 
' '  But  I  had  had  no  idea  it  was  so  difficult  to  effect  an  entry 
into  a  railroad  wayside  hotel. ' '  I  picked  up  a  long  strip  of 
my  old  black  dress,  torn  off  by  a  man 's  spur  as  I  passed  him 
getting  off  the  train. 

It  is  sad  enough  at  Mulberry  without  old  Mrs.  Chesnut, 
who  was  the  good  genius  of  the  place.  It  is  so  lovely  here 
in  spring.  The  giants  of  the  forest — the  primeval  oaks, 
water-oaks,  live-oaks,  willow-oaks,  such  as  I  ha,ve  not  seen 
since  I  left  here — with  opopanax,  violets,  roses,  and  yellow 
jessamine,  the  air  is  laden  with  perfume.  Araby  the  Blest 
was  never  sweeter. 

Inside,  are  creature  comforts  of  all  kinds — green  peas, 
strawberries,  asparagus,  spring  lamb,  spring  chicken,  fresh 
eggs,  rich,  yellow  butter,  clean  white  linen  for  one's  beds, 
dazzling  white  damask  for  one 's  table.  It  is  such  a  contrast 
to  Richmond,  where  I  wish  I  were. 

Fighting  is  going  on.  Hampton  is  frantic,  for  his  lag 
gard  new  regiments  fall  in  slowly ;  no  fault  of  the  soldiers ; 
they  are  as  disgusted  as  he  is.  Bragg,  Bragg,  the  head  of 
the  War  Office,  can  not  organize  in  time. 

John  Boykin  has  died  in  a  Yankee  prison.  He  had  on  a 
heavy  flannel  shirt  when  lying  in  an  open  platform  car  on 
the  way  to  a  cold  prison  on  the  lakes.  A  Federal  soldier 
wanted  John 's  shirt.  Prisoners  have  no  rights ;  so  John 
had  to  strip  off  and  hand  his  shirt  to  him.  That  caused 

308 


OLD    MRS.    CHESNUT 


his  death.  In  two  days  he  was  dead  of  pneumonia — may  be 
frozen  to  death.  One  man  said :  ' '  They  are  taking  us  there 
to  freeze. ' '  But  then  their  men  will  find  our  hot  sun  in  Au 
gust  and  July  as  deadly  as  our  men  find  their  cold  Decem 
bers.  Their  snow  and  ice  finish  our  prisoners  at  a  rapid 
rate,  they  say.  Napoleon's  soldiers  found  out  all  that  in 
the  Russian  campaign. 

Have  brought  my  houseless,  homeless  friends,  refugees 
here,  to  luxuriate  in  Mulberry's  plenty.  I  can  but  remem 
ber  the  lavish  kindness  of  the  Virginia  people  when  I  was 
there  and  in  a  similar  condition.  The  Virginia  people  do 
the  rarest  acts  of  hospitality  and  never  seem  to  know  it  is 
not  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events. 

The  President's  man,  Stephen,  bringing  his  master's 
Arabian  to  Mulberry  for  safe-keeping,  said :  ' '  Why,  Missis, 
your  niggers  down  here  are  well  off.  I  call  this  Mul 
berry  place  heaven,  with  plenty  to  eat,  little  to  do,  warm 
house  to  sleep  in,  a  good  church." 

John  L.  Miller,  my  cousin,  has  been  killed  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment.  The  blows  now  fall  so  fast  on  our  heads 
they  are  bewildering.  The  Secretary  of  War  authorizes 
General  Chesnut  to  reorganize  the  men  who  have  been  hith 
erto  detailed  for  special  duty,  and  also  those  who  have  been 
exempt.  He  says  General  Chesnut  originated  the  plan  and 
organized  the  corps  of  clerks  which  saved  Richmond  in  the 
Dahlgren  raid. 

May  27th. — In  all  this  beautiful  sunshine,  in  the  still 
ness  and  shade  of  these  long  hours  on  this  piazza,  all  comes 
back  to  me  about  little  Joe;  it  haunts  me — that  scene  in 
Richmond  where  all  seemed  confusion,  madness,  a  bad 
dream!  Here  I  see  that  funeral  procession  as  it  wound 
among  those  tall  white  monuments,  up  that  hillside,  the 
James  River  tumbling  about  below  over  rocks  and  around 
islands;  the  dominant  figure,  that  poor,  old,  gray-haired 
man,  standing  bareheaded,  straight  as  an  arrow,  clear 
against  the  sky  by  the  open  grave  of  his  son.  She,  the  be- 

309 


May  8,  1864  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  June  1,  1864 

reft  mother,  stood  back,  in  her  heavy  black  wrappings,  and 
her  tall  figure  drooped.  The  flowers,  the  children,  the  pro 
cession  as  it  moved,  comes  and  goes,  but  those  two  dark, 
sorrow-stricken  figures  stand ;  they  are  before  me  now ! 

That  night,  with  no  sound  but  the  heavy  tramp  of  his 
feet  overhead,  the  curtains  flapping  in  the  wind,  the  gas 
flaring,  I  was  numb,  stupid,  half -dead  with  grief  and  ter 
ror.  Then  came  Catherine's  Irish  howl.  Cheap,  was  that. 
Where  was  she  when  it  all  happened?  Her  place  was  to 
have  been  with  the  child.  Who  saw  him  fall  ?  Whom  will 
they  kill  next  of  that  devoted  household  ? 

Read  to-day  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded.1  One  long 
column  was  not  enough  for  South  Carolina's  dead.  I  see 
Mr.  Federal  Secretary  Stanton  says  he  can  reenforce  Su- 
warrow  Grant  at  his  leisure  whenever  he  calls  for  more.  He 
has  just  sent  him  25,000  veterans.  Old  Lincoln  says,  in  his 
quaint  backwoods  way,  "  Keep  a-peggin'."  Now  we  can 
only  peg  out.  What  have  we  left  of  men,  etc.,  to  meet  these 
"  reenforcements  as  often  as  reenforcements  are  called 
for?  "  Our  fighting  men  have  all  gone  to  the  front;  only 
old  men  and  little  boys  are  at  home  now. 

It  is  impossible  to  sleep  here,  because  it  is  so  solemn 
and  still.  The  moonlight  shines  in  my  window  sad  and 
white,  and  the  soft  south  wind,  literally  comes  over  a  bank 
of  violets,  lilacs,  roses,  with  orange-blossoms  and  magnolia 
flowers. 

Mrs.  Chesnut  was  only  a  year  younger  than  her  hus 
band.  He  is  ninety-two  or  three.  She  was  deaf ;  but  he  re 
tains  his  senses  wonderfully  for  his  great  age.  I  have  al 
ways  been  an  early  riser.  Formerly  I  often  saw  him  saun 
tering  slowly  down  the  broad  passage  from  his  room  to  hers, 
in  a  flowing  flannel  dressing-gown  when  it  was  winter.  In 


1  During  the  month  of  May,  1864,  important  battles  had  been  fought 
in  Virginia,  including  that  of  the  Wilderness  on  May  6th-7th,  and  the 
series  later  in  that  month  around  Spottsylvania  Court  House. 

310 


MKS.    -JAMES    CIIKSXUT,    SK. 
From  a  Portrait  in  Oil  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 


THE    OLD    COLONEL'S    GRIEF 


the  spring  he  was  apt  to  be  in  shirt-sleeves,  with  suspenders 
hanging  down  his  back.  He  had  always  a  large  hair-brush 
in  his  hand. 

He  would  take  his  stand  on  the  rug  before  the  fire  in  her 
room,  brushing  scant  locks  which  were  fleecy  white.  Her 
maid  would  be  doing  hers,  which  were  dead-leaf  brown,  not 
a  white  hair  in  her  head.  He  had  the  voice  of  a  stentor,  and 
there  he  stood  roaring  his  morning  compliments.  The  peo 
ple  who  occupied  the  room  above  said  he  fairly  shook  the 
window  glasses.  This  pleasant  morning  greeting  ceremony 
was  never  omitted. 

Her  voice  was  "  soft  and  low  "  (the  oft-quoted).  Phil 
adelphia  seems  to  have  lost  the  art  of  sending  forth  such 
voices  now.  Mrs.  Binney,  old  Mrs.  Chesnut's  sister,  came 
among  us  with  the  same  softly  modulated,  womanly,  musi 
cal  voice.  Her  clever  and  beautiful  daughters  were  criarcl. 
Judge  Han  said :  '  *  Philadelphia  women  scream  like  ma 
caws.  ' '  This  morning  as  I  passed  Mrs.  Chesnut  's  room,  the 
door  stood  wide  open,  and  I  heard  a  pitiful  sound.  The 
old  man  was  kneeling  by  her  empty  bedside  sobbing  bit 
terly.  I  fled  down  the  middle  walk,  anywhere  out  of  reach 
of  what  was  never  meant  for  me  to  hear. 

June  1st. — We  have  been  to  Bloomsbury  again  and  hear 
that  William  Kirkland  has  been  wounded.  A  scene  oc 
curred  then,  Mary  weeping  bitterly  and  Aunt  B.  frantic  as 
to  Tanny's  danger.  I  proposed  to  make  arrangements  for 
Mary  to  go  on  at  once.  The  Judge  took  me  aside,  frowning 
angrily.  "  You  are  unwise  to  talk  in  that  way.  She  can 
neither  take  her  infant  nor  leave  it.  The  cars  are  closed  by 
order  of  the  government  to  all  but  soldiers." 

I  told  him  of  the  woman  who,  when  the  conductor 
said  she  could  not  go,  cried  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  "  Sol 
diers,  I  want  to  go  to  Richmond  to  nurse  my  wounded  hus 
band."  In  a  moment  twenty  men  made  themselves  her 
body-guard,  and  she  went  on  unmolested.  The  Judge  said 
I  talked  nonsense.  I  said  I  would  go  on  in  my  carriage  if 

311 


May  8,  1864  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  June  1,  1864 

need  be.  Besides,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting 
Mary  a  "  permit. " 

He  answered  hotly  that  in  no  case  would  he  let  her  go, 
and  that  I  had  better  not  go  back  into  the  house.  We  were 
on  the  piazza  and  my  carriage  at  the  door.  I  took  it  and 
crossed  over  to  see  Mary  Boykin.  She  was  weeping,  too,  so 
washed  away  with  tears  one  would  hardly  know  her.  "  So 
many  killed.  My  son  and  my  husband — I  do  not  hear  a 
word  from  them." 

Gave  to-day  for  two  pounds  of  tea,  forty  pounds  of  cof 
fee,  and  sixty  pounds  of  sugar,  $800. 

Beauregard  is  a  gentleman  and  was  a  genius  as  long  as 
Whiting  did  his  engineering  for  him.  Our  Creole  general 
is  not  quite  so  clever  as  he  thinks  himself. 

Mary  Ford  writes  for  school-books  for  her  boys.  She  is 
in  great  distress  on  the  subject.  When  Long-street's  corps 
passed  through  Greenville  there  was  great  enthusiasm; 
handkerchiefs  were  waved,  bouquets  and  flowers  were 
thrown  the  troops ;  her  boys,  having  nothing  else  to  throw, 
threw  their  school-books. 


312 


XVIII 

COLUMBIA,    S.    C. 

July  6,  1864— January  17,  1865 

,  S.  C.,  July  6,  1864.—At  the  Prestons' 
Mary  was  laughing  at  Mrs.  Lyons 's  complaint — the 
person  from  whom  we  rented  rooms  in  Richmond. 
She  spoke  of  Molly  and  Lawrence's  deceitfulness.  They 
went  about  the  house  quiet  as  mice  while  we  were  at  home ; 
or  Lawrence  sat  at  the  door  and  sprang  to  his  feet  whenever 
we  passed.  But  when  we  were  out,  they  sang,  laughed, 
shouted,  and  danced.  If  any  of  the  Lyons  family  passed 
him,  Lawrence  kept  his  seat,  with  his  hat  on,  too.  Mrs. 
Chesnut  had  said :  "  Oh !  "  so  meekly  to  the  whole  tirade, 
and  added,  ' '  I  will  see  about  it. ' ' 

Colonel  Urquhart  and  Edmund  Rhett  dined  here ;  charm 
ing  men  both — no  brag,  no  detraction.  Talk  is  never  pleas 
ant  where  there  is  either.  Our  noble  Georgian  dined  here. 
He  says  Hampton  was  the  hero  of  the  Yankee  rout 
at  Stony  Creek.1  He  claims  that  citizens,  militia,  and  lame 
soldiers  kept  the  bridge  at  Staunton  and  gallantly  repulsed 
Wilson's  raiders. 

At  Mrs.  S.'s  last  night.  She  came  up,  saying,  "  In 
New  Orleans  four  people  never  met  together  without  dan 
cing."  Edmund  Rhett  turned  to  me:  "You  shall  be 
pressed  into  service. "  ' '  No,  I  belong  to  the  reserve  corps — 

1  The  battle  of  Stony  Creek  in  Virginia  was  fought  on  June  28-29, 
1864. 

313 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

too  old  to  volunteer  or  to  be  drafted  as  a  conscript. ' '  But  I 
had  to  go. 

My  partner  in  the  dance  showed  his  English  descent ;  he 
took  his  pleasure  sadly.  "  Oh,  Mr.  Rhett,  at  his  pleasure, 
can  be  a  most  agreeable  companion!  "  said  someone.  "  I 
never  happened  to  meet  him, ' '  said  I,  ' '  when  he  pleased  to 
be  otherwise. ' '  With  a  hot,  draggled,  old  alpaca  dress,  and 
those  clod-hopping  shoes,  to  tumble  slowly  and  gracefully 
through  the  mazes  of  a  July  dance  was  too  much  for  me. 
* l  What  depresses  you  so  ?  "he  anxiously  inquired.  ' '  Our 
carnival  of  death."  What  a  blunder  to  bring  us  all  to 
gether  here ! — a  reunion  of  consumptives  to  dance  and  sing 
until  one  can  almost  hear  the  death-rattle ! 

July  25th. — Now  we  are  in  a  cottage  rented  from  Doctor 
Chisolm.  Hood  is  a  full  general.  Johnston  1  has  been  re 
moved  and  superseded.  Early  is  threatening  Washington 
City.  Semmes,  of  whom  we  have  been  so  proud,  risked  the 
Alabama  in  a  sort  of  duel  of  ships.  He  has  lowered  the  flag 
of  the  famous  Alabama  to  the  Kearsarge.2  Forgive  who 
may !  I  can  not.  We  moved  into  this  house  on  the  20th  of 

1  General  Johnston  in  1863  had  been  appointed  to  command  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  with  headquarters  at  Dalton,  Georgia.     He  was 
to  oppose  the  advance  of  Sherman's  army  toward  Atlanta.     In  May, 
1864,  he  fought  unsuccessful  battles  at  Resaca  and  elsewhere,  and  in 
July  was  compelled  to  retreat  across  the  Chattahoochee  River.     Fault 
was  found  with  him  because  of  his  continual  retreating.     There  were 
tremendous  odds  against  him.     On  July  17th  he  was  superseded  by 
Hood. 

2  Raphael  Semmes  was  a  native  of  Maryland  and  had  served  in  the 
Mexican  War.     The  Alabama  was  built  for  the  Confederate  States  at 
Birkenhead,  England,  and  with  an  English  crew  and  English  equipment 
was  commanded  by  Semmes.     In  1863  and  1864  the  Alabama  destroyed 
much   Federal    shipping.     On    June    19,  1864,  she  was  sunk  by  the 
Federal  ship  Kearsarge  in  a  battle  off  Cherbourg.     Claims  against  Eng 
land  for  damages  were  made  by  the  United  States,  and  as  a  result  the 
Geneva  Arbitration  Court  was  created.     Claims  amounting  to  $15,500,- 
000  were  finally  awarded.     This  case  has  much  importance  in  the  his 
tory  of  international  law. 

314 


THE    ALABAMA    SUNK 


July.  My  husband  was  telegraphed  to  go  to  Charleston. 
General  Jones  sent  for  him.  A  part  of  his  command  is  on 
the  coast. 

The  girls  were  at  my  house.  Everything  was  in  the 
utmost  confusion.  We  were  lying  on  a  pile  of  mattresses 
in  one  of  the  front  rooms  while  the  servants  were  reducing 
things  to  order  in  the  rear.  All  the  papers  are  down  on  the 
President  for  this  change  of  commanders  except  the  Georgia 
papers.  Indeed,  Governor  Brown's  constant  complaints,  I 
dare  say,  caused  it — these  and  the  rage  of  the  Georgia  peo 
ple  as  Johnston  backed  down  on  them. 

Isabella  soon  came.  She  said  she  saw  the  Preston  sis 
ters  pass  her  house,  and  as  they  turned  the  corner  there  was 
a  loud  and  bitter  cry.  It  seemed  to  come  from  the  Hampton 
house.  Both  girls  began  to  run  at  full  speed.  "  What  is 
the  matter?  "  asked  Mrs.  Martin.  "  Mother,  listen;  that 
sounded  like  the  cry  of  a  broken  heart,"  said  Isabella; 
"  something  has  gone  terribly  wrong  at  the  PrestonsV 

Mrs.  Martin  is  deaf,  however,  so  she  heard  nothing  and 
thought  Isabella  fanciful.  Isabella  hurried  over  there,  and 
learned  that  they  had  come  to  tell  Mrs.  Preston  that  Willie 
was  killed — Willie !  his  mother 's  darling.  No  country  ever 
had  a  braver  soldier,  a  truer  gentleman,  to  lay  down  his 
life  in  her  cause. 

July  26th. — Isabella  went  with  me  to  the  bulletin-board. 
Mrs.  D.  (with  the  white  linen  as  usual  pasted  on  her  chin) 
asked  me  to  read  aloud  what  was  there  written.  As  I  slowly 
read  on,  I  heard  a  suppressed  giggle  from  Isabella.  I  know 
her  way  of  laughing  at  everything,  and  tried  to  enunciate 
more  distinctly — to  read  more  slowly,  and  louder,  with 
more  precision.  As  I  finished  and  turned  round,  I  found 
myself  closely  packed  in  by  a  crowd  of  Confederate  soldiers 
eager  to  hear  the  news.  They  took  off  their  caps,  thanked 
me  for  reading  all  that  was  on  the  boards,  and  made  way 
for  me,  cap  in  hand,  as  I  hastily  returned  to  the  carriage, 
which  was  waiting  for  us.  Isabella  proposed,  ' '  Call  out  to 
22  315 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

them  to  give  three  cheers  for  Jeff  Davis  and  his  generals. ' ' 
"  You  forget,  my  child,  that  we  are  on  our  way  to  a  fu 
neral." 

Found  my  new  house  already  open  hospitably  to  all 
comers.  My  husband  had  arrived.  He  was  seated  at  a  pine 
table,  on  which  someone  had  put  a  coarse,  red  table-cover, 
and  by  the  light  of  one  tallow  candle  was  affably  entertain 
ing  Edward  Barnwell,  Isaac  Hayne,  and  Uncle  Hamilton. 
He  had  given  them  no  tea,  however.  After  I  had  remedied 
that  oversight,  we  adjourned  to  the  moonlighted  piazza. 
By  tallow-candle-light  and  the  light  of  the  moon,  we  made 
out  that  wonderful  smile  of  Teddy's,  which  identifies  him 
as  Gerald  Grey. 

We  have  laughed  so  at  broken  hearts — the  broken  hearts 
of  the  foolish  love  stories.  But  Buck,  now,  is  breaking  her 
heart  for  her  brother  Willie.  Hearts  do  break  in  silence, 
without  a  word  or  a  sigh.  Mrs.  Means  and  Mary  Barnwell 
made  no  moan — simply  turned  their  faces  to  the  wall  and 
died.  How  many  more  that  we  know  nothing  of ! 

When  I  remember  all  the  true-hearted,  the  light-hearted, 
the  gay  and  gallant  boys,  who  have  come  laughing,  singing, 
and  dancing  in  my  way  in  the  three  years  now  past ;  how  I 
have  looked  into  their  brave  young  eyes  and  helped  them 
as  I  could  in  every  way  and  then  saw  them  no  more  forever ; 
how  they  lie  stark  and  cold,  dead  upon  the  battle-field,  or 
moldering  away  in  hospitals  or  prisons,  which  is  worse — I 
think  if  I  consider  the  long  array  of  those  bright  youths 
and  loyal  men  who  have  gone  to  their  death  almost  before 
my  very  eyes,  my  heart  might  break,  too.  Is  anything 
worth  it — this  fearful  sacrifice,  this  awful  penalty  we  pay 
for  war? 

Allen  G.  says  Johnston  was  a  failure.  Now  he  will  wait 
and  see  what  Hood  can  do  before  he  pronounces  judgment 
on  him.  He  liked  his  address  to  his  army.  It  was  grand 
and  inspiring,  but  every  one  knows  a  general  has  not  time 
to  write  these  things  himself.  Mr.  Kelly,  from  New  Or- 

316 


SHERMAN  BEFORE  ATLANTA 

leans,  says  Dick  Taylor  and  Kirby  Smith  have  quarreled. 
One  would  think  we  had  a  big  enough  quarrel  on  hand  for 
one  while  already.  The  Yankees  are  enough  and  to  spare. 
General  Lovell  says,  * '  Joe  Brown,  with  his  Georgians  at  his 
back,  who  importuned  our  government  to  remove  Joe  Johns 
ton,  they  are  scared  now,  and  wish  they  had  not. ' ' 

In  our  democratic  Republic,  if  one  rises  to  be  its  head, 
whomever  he  displeases  takes  a  Turkish  revenge  and  defiles 
the  tombs  of  his  father  and  mother;  hints  that  his  father 
was  a  horse-thief  and  his  mother  no  better  than  she  should 
be;  his  sisters  barmaids  and  worse,  his  brothers  Yankee 
turncoats  and  traitors.  All  this  is  hurled  at  Lincoln  or 
Jeff  Davis  indiscriminately. 

August  2d. — Sherman  again.  Artillery  parked  and 
a  line  of  battle  formed  before  Atlanta.  When  we  asked 
Brewster  what  Sam  meant  to  do  at  Atlanta  he  answered, 
' '  Oh — oh,  like  the  man  who  went,  he  says  he  means  to  stay 
there!  "  Hope  he  may,  that's  all. 

Spent  to-day  with  Mrs.  McCord  at  her  hospital.  She  is 
dedicating  her  grief  for  her  son,  sanctifying  it,  one  might 
say,  by  giving  up  her  soul  and  body,  her  days  and  nights,  to 
the  wounded  soldiers  at  her  hospital.  Every  moment  of  her 
time  is  surrendered  to  their  needs. 

To-day  General  Taliaferro  dined  with  us.  He  served 
with  Hood  at  the  second  battle  of  Manassas  and  at  Freder- 
icksburg,  where  Hood  won  his  major-general's  spurs.  On 
the  battle-field,  Hood,  he  said,  "  has  military  inspiration." 
We  were  thankful  for  that  word.  All  now  depends  on  that 
army  at  Atlanta.  If  that  fails  us,  the  game  is  up. 

August  3d. — Yesterday  was  such  a  lucky  day  for  my 
housekeeping  in  our  hired  house.  Oh,  ye  kind  Columbia 
folk!  Mrs.  Alex  Taylor,  nee  Hayne,  sent  me  a  huge  bowl 
of  yellow  butter  and  a  basket  to  match  of  every  vegetable 
in  season.  Mrs.  Preston's  man  came  with  mushrooms  fresh 
ly  cut  and  Mrs.  Tom  Taylor's  with  fine  melons. 

Sent  Smith  and  Johnson  (my  house  servant  and  a  car- 

317 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

penter  from  home,  respectively)  to  the  Commissary's  with 
our  wagon  for  supplies.  They  made  a  mistake,  so  they  said, 
and  went  to  the  depot  instead,  and  stayed  there  all  day.  I 
needed  a  servant  sadly  in  many  ways  all  day  long,  but  I 
hope  Smith  and  Johnson  had  a  g*od  time.  I  did  not  lose 
patience  until  Harriet  came  in  an  omnibus  because  I  had 
neither  servants  nor  horse  to  send  to  the  station  for  her. 

Stephen  Elliott  is  wounded,  and  his  wife  and  father 
have  gone  to  him.  Six  hundred  of  his  men  were  destroyed 
in  a  mine ;  and  part  of  his  brigade  taken  prisoners :  Stone- 
man  and  his  raiders  have  been  captured.  This  last  fact 
gives  a  slightly  different  hue  to  our  horizon  of  unmitigated 
misery. 

General  L —  -  told  us  of  an  unpleasant  scene  at  the 
President's  last  winter.  He  called  there  to  see  Mrs.  Mc 
Lean.  Mrs.  Davis  was  in  the  room  and  he  did  not  speak  to 
her.  He  did  not  intend  to  be  rude ;  it  was  merely  an  over 
sight.  And  so  he  called  again  and  tried  to  apologize,  to 
remedy  his  blunder,  but  the  President  was  inexorable,  and 
would  not  receive  his  overtures  of  peace  and  good-will. 
General  L—  -  is  a  New  York  man.  Talk  of  the  savagery 
of  slavery,  heavens!  How  perfect  are  our  men's  manners 
down  here,  how  suave,  how  polished  are  they.  Fancy  one 
of  them  forgetting  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Davis  in  her  own  draw 
ing-room. 

August  6th. — Archer  came,  a  classmate  of  my  husband's 
at  Princeton;  they. called  him  Sally  Archer  then,  he  was  so 
girlish  and  pretty.  No  trace  of  feminine  beauty  about  this 
grim  soldier  now.  He  has  a  hard  face,  black-bearded  and 
sallow,  with  the  saddest  black  eyes.  His  hands  are  small, 
white,  and  well-shaped ;  his  manners  quiet.  He  is  abstracted 
and  weary-looking,  his  mind  and  body  having  been  dead 
ened  by  long  imprisonment.  He  seemed  glad  to  be  here, 
and  James  Chesnut  was  charmed.  "  Dear  Sally  Archer, " 
he  calls  him  cheerily,  and  the  other  responds  in  a  far-off, 
faded  kind  of  way. 

318 


FARRAGUT    IN    MOBILE    BAY 


Hood  and  Archer  were  given  the  two  Texas  regiments 
at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  They  were  colonels  and  Wig- 
fall  was  their  general.  Archer's  comments  on  Hood  are: 
"  He  does  not  compare  intellectually  with  General  Johns 
ton,  who  is  decidedly  a  man  of  culture  and  literary  attain 
ments,  with  much  experience  in  military  matters.  Hood, 
however,  has  youth  and  energy  to  help  counterbalance  all 
this.  He  has  a  simple-minded  directness  of  purpose  al 
ways.  He  is  awfully  shy,  and  he  has  suffered  terribly,  but 
then  he  has  had  consolations — such  a  rapid  rise  in  his  pro 
fession,  and  then  his  luck  to  be  engaged  to  the  beautiful 
Miss  ." 

They  tried  Archer  again  and  again  on  the  heated  con 
troversy  of  the  day,  but  he  stuck  to  his  text.  Joe  Johnston 
is  a  fine  military  critic,  a  capital  writer,  an  accomplished 
soldier,  as  brave  as  Caesar  in  his  own  person,  but  cautious  to 
a  fault  in  manipulating  an  army.  Hood  has  all  the  dash 
and  fire  of  a  reckless  young  soldier,  and  his  Texans  would 
follow  him  to  the  death.  Too  much  caution  might  be  fol 
lowed  easily  by  too  much  headlong  rush.  That  is  where  the 
swing-back  of  the  pendulum  might  ruin  us. 

August  10th. — To-day  General  Chesnut  and  his  staff  de 
parted.  His  troops  are  ordered  to  look  after  the  mountain 
passes  beyond  Greenville  on  the  North  Carolina  and  Ten 
nessee  quarter. 

Misery  upon  misery.  Mobile  1  is  going  as  New  Orleans 
went.  Those  Western  men  have  not  held  their  towns  as  we 
held  and  hold  Charleston,  or  as  the  Virginians  hold  Rich 
mond.  And  they  call  us  a  "  frill-shirt,  silk-stocking  chiv 
alry,"  or  "  a  set  of  dandy  Miss  Nancys."  They  fight  des 
perately  in  their  bloody  street  brawls,  but  we  bear  privation 
and  discipline  best. 

August  14th. — We  have  conflicting  testimony.     Young 

1  The  battle  of  Mobile  Bay,  won  under  Farragut,  was  fought  on 
August  5,  1864. 

319 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,     S.     C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

Wade  Hampton,  of  Joe  Johnston's  staff,  says  Hood  lost 
12,000  men  in  the  battles  of  the  22d  x  and  24th,  but  Brews- 
ter,  of  Hood's  staff,  says  not  three  thousand  at  the  utmost. 
Now  here  are  two  people  strictly  truthful,  who  tell  things 
so  differently.  In  this  war  people  see  the  same  things  so 
oddly  one  does  not  know  what  to  believe. 

Brewster  says  when  he  was  in  Richmond  Mr.  Davis  said 
Johnston  would  have  to  be  removed  and  Sherman  blocked. 
He  could  not  make  Hardee  full  general  because,  when  he 
had  command  of  an  army  he  was  always  importuning  the 
War  Department  for  a  general-in-chief  to  be  sent  there 
over  him.  Polk  would  not  do,  brave  soldier  and  patriot  as 
he  was.  He  was  a  good  soldier,  and  would  do  his  best  for 
his  country,  and  do  his  duty  under  whomever  was  put  over 
him  by  those  in  authority.  Mr.  Davis  did  not  once  intimate 
to  him  who  it  was  that  he  intended  to  promote  to  the  head 
of  the  Western  Army. 

Brewster  said  to-day  that  this  "  blow  at  Joe  Johnston, 
cutting  off  his  head,  ruins  the  schemes  of  the  enemies  of  the 
government.  Wigf all  asked  me  to  go  at  once,  and  get  Hood 
to  decline  to  take  this  command,  for  it  will  destroy  him  if 
he  accepts  it.  He  will  have  to  fight  under  Jeff  Davis 's  or 
ders  ;  no  one  can  do  that  now  and  not  lose  caste  in  the  West 
ern  Army.  Joe  Johnston  does  not  exactly  say  that  Jeff 
Davis  betrays  his  plans  to  the  enemy,  but  he  says  he  dares 
not  let  the  President  know  his  plans,  as  there  is  a  spy  in  the 
War  Office  who  invariably  warns  the  Yankees  in  time.  Con 
sulting  the  government  on  military  movements  is  played 
out.  That's  Wigf  all's  way  of  talking.  Now,"  added 
Brewster,  "  I  blame  the  President  for  keeping  a  man  at 
the  head  of  his  armies  who  treats  the  government  with 
open  scorn  and  contumely,  no  matter  how  the  people  at 
large  rate  this  disrespectful  general.'* 

1  On  July  22d,  Hood  made  a  sortie  from  Atlanta,  but  after  a  battle 
was  obliged  to  return. 

320 


GRANT    BEFORE    RICHMOND 


August  19th. — Began  my  regular  attendance  on  the 
Wayside  Hospital.  To-day  we  gave  wounded  men,  as  they 
stopped  for  an  hour  at  the  station,  their  breakfast.  Those 
who  are  able  to  come  to  the  table  do  so.  The  badly  wounded 
remain  in  wards  prepared  for  them,  where  their  wounds  are 
dressed  by  nurses  and  surgeons,  and  we  take  bread  and  but 
ter,  beef,  ham,  and  hot  coffee  to  them. 

One  man  had  hair  as  long  as  a  woman's,  the  result  of  a 
vow,  he  said.  He  had  pledged  himself  not  to  cut  his  hair 
until  peace  was  declared  and  our  Southern  country  free. 
Four  made  this  vow  together.  All  were  dead  but  himself. 
One  was  killed  in  Missouri,  one  in  Virginia,  and  he  left  one 
at  Kennesaw  Mountain.  This  poor  creature  had  had  one 
arm  taken  off  at  the  socket.  When  I  remarked  that  he  was 
utterly  disabled  and  ought  not  to  remain  in  the  army,  he 
answered  quietly,  "  I  am  of  the  First  Texas.  If  old  Hood 
can  go  with  one  f ootr  I  can  go  with  one  arm,  eh  ?  ' ! 

How  they  quarreled  and  wrangled  among  themselves — 
Alabama  and  Mississippi,  all  were  loud  for  Joe  Johnston, 
save  and  except  the  long-haired,  one-armed  hero,  who  cried 
at  the  top  of  his  voice :  l '  Oh !  you  all  want  to  be  kept  in 
trenches  and  to  go  on  retreating,  eh?  "  "  Oh,  if  we  had 
had  a  leader,  such  as  Stonewall,  this  war  would  have  been 
over  long  ago!  What  we  want  is  a  leader!  "  shouted  a 
cripple. 

They  were  awfully  smashed-up,  objects  of  misery, 
wounded,  maimed,  diseased.  I  was  really  upset,  and  came 
home  ill.  This  kind  of  thing  unnerves  me  quite. 

Letters  from  the  army.  Grant's  dogged  stay  about 
Richmond  is  very  disgusting  and  depressing  to  the  spirits. 
Wade  Hampton  has  been  put  in  command  of  the  Southern 
cavalry. 

A  Wayside  incident.  A  pine  box,  covered  with  flowers, 
was  carefully  put  upon  the  train  by  some  gentlemen.  Isa 
bella  asked  whose  remains  were  in  the  box.  Dr.  Gibbes  re 
plied  :  "In  that  box  lies  the  body  of  a  young  man  whose 

321 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

family  antedates  the  Bourbons  of  France.  He  was  the  last 
Count  de  Choiseul,  and  he  has  died  for  the  South."  Let 
his  memory  be  held  in  perpetual  remembrance  by  all  who 
love  the  South! 

August  22d. — Hope  I  may  ne^er  know  a  raid  except 
from  hearsay.  Mrs.  Huger  describes  the  one  at  Athens. 
The  proudest  and  most  timid  of  women  were  running  madly 
in  the  streets,  corsets  in  one  hand,  stockings  in  the  other — 
deshabille  as  far  as  it  will  go.  Mobile  is  half  taken.  The 
railroad  between  us  and  Richmond  has  been  tapped. 

Notes  from  a  letter  written  by  a  young  lady  who  is  rid 
ing  a  high  horse.  Her  fiance,  a  maimed  hero,  has  been 
abused.  "  You  say  to  me  with  a  sneer,  *  So  you  love  that 
man.'  Yes,  I  do,  and  I  thank  God  that  I  love  better  than  all 
the  world  the  man  who  is  to  be  my  husband.  '  Proud  of 
him,  are  you  1  '  Yes,  I  am,  in  exact  proportion  to  my  love. 
You  say,  '  I  am  selfish.'  Yes,  I  am  selfish.  He  is  my  sec 
ond  self,  so  utterly  absorbed  am  I  in  him.  There  is  not  a 
moment,  day  or  night,  that  I  do  not  think  of  him.  In  point 
of  fact,  I  do  not  think  of  anything  else."  No  reply  was 
deemed  necessary  by  the  astounded  recipient  of  this  out 
burst  of  indignation,  who  showed  me  the  letter  and  contin 
ued  to  observe:  "  Did  you  ever?  She  seems  so  shy,  so 
timid,  so  cold." 

Sunday  Isabella  took  us  to  a  chapel,  Methodist,  of 
course;  her  father  had  a  hand  in  building  it.  It  was  not 
clean,  but  it  was  crowded,  hot,  and  stuffy.  An  eloquent 
man  preached  with  a  delightful  voice  and  wonderful  flu 
ency;  nearly  eloquent,  and  at  times  nearly  ridiculous.  He 
described  a  scene  during  one  of  his  sermons  when  "  beau 
tiful  young  faces  were  turned  up  to  me,  radiant  faces 
though  bathed  in  tears,  moral  rainbows  of  emotion  playing 
over  them,"  etc. 

He  then  described  his  own  conversion,  and  stripped  him 
self  naked  morally.  All  that  is  very  revolting  to  one's  in 
nate  sense  of  decency.  He  tackled  the  patriarchs.  Adam, 

322 


PETERSBURG 


Noah,  and  so  on  down  to  Joseph,  who  was  "  a  man  whose 
modesty  and  purity  were  so  transcendent  they  enabled  him 
to  resist  the  greatest  temptation  to  which  fallen  man  is  ex 
posed."  "  Fiddlesticks !  that  is  played  out !  "  my  neighbor 
whispered.  "  Everybody  gives  up  now  that  old  Mrs.  Pha 
raoh  was  forty. "  '  *  Mrs.  Potiphar,  you  goose,  and  she  was 
fifty!"  "  That  solves  the  riddle."  "  Sh-sh!  "  from  the 
devout  Isabella. 

At  home  met  General  Preston  on  the  piazza.  He  was 
vastly  entertaining.  Gave  us  Darwin,  Herodotus,  and  Livy. 
We  understood  him  and  were  delighted,  but  we  did  not  know 
enough  to  be  sure  when  it  was  his  own  wisdom  or  when  wise 
saws  and  cheering  words  came  from  the  authors  of  whom 
he  spoke. 

August  23d. — All  in  a  muddle,  and  yet  the  news,  con 
fused  as  it  is,  seems  good  from  all  quarters.  There  is  a  row 
in  New  Orleans.  Memphis1  has  been  retaken;  2,000  prison 
ers  have  been  captured  at  Petersburg,  and  a  Yankee  raid  on 
Macon  has  come  to  grief. 

At  Mrs.  Izard's  met  a  clever  Mrs.  Calhoun.  Mrs.  Cal- 
houn  is  a  violent  partizan  of  Dick  Taylor;  says  Taylor 
does  the  work  and  Kirby  Smith  gets  the  credit  for  it.  Mrs. 
Calhoun  described  the  behavior  of  some  acquaintance  of 
theirs  at  Shreveport,  one  of  that  kind  whose  faith  removes 
mountains.  Her  love  for  and  confidence  in  the  Confederate 
army  were  supreme.  Why  not  1  She  knew  so  many  of  the 
men  who  composed  that  dauntless  band.  When  her  hus 
band  told  her  New  Orleans  had  surrendered  to  a  foe  whom 
she  despised,  she  did  not  believe  a  word  of  it.  He  told  her 
to  "  pack  up  his  traps,  as  it  was  time  for  him  to  leave 
Shreveport."  She  then  determined  to  run  down  to  the 
levee  and  see  for  herself,  only  to  find  the  Yankee  gunboats 
having  it  all  their  own  way.  She  made  a  painful  exhibition 
of  herself.  First,  she  fell  on  her  knees  and  prayed;  then 

1  General  Forrest  made  his  raid  on  Memphis  in  August  of  this  year. 

323 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

she  got  up  and  danced  with  rage;  then  she  raved  and 
dashed  herself  on  the  ground  in  a  fit.  There  was  patriotism 
run  mad  for  you !  As  I  did  not  know  the  poor  soul,  Mrs. 
Calhoun's  fine  acting  was  somewhat  lost  on  me,  but  the 
others  enjoyed  it.  ^ 

Old  Edward  Johnston  has  been  sent  to  Atlanta  against 
his  will,  and  Archer  has  been  made  major-general  and,  con 
trary  to  his  earnest  request,  ordered  not  to  his  beloved 
Texans  but  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Mr.  C.  F.  Hampton  deplores  the  untimely  end  of  Mc- 
Pherson.1  He  was  so  kind  to  Mr.  Hampton  at  Vicksburg 
last  winter,  and  drank  General  Hampton's  health  then  and 
there.  Mr.  Hampton  has  asked  Brewster,  if  the  report  of  his 
death  prove  a  mistake,  and  General  McPherson  is  a  pris 
oner,  that  every  kindness  and  attention  be  shown  to  him. 
General  McPherson  said  at  his  own  table  at  Vicksburg  that 
General  Hampton  was  the  ablest  general  on  our  side. 

Grant  can  hold  his  own  as  well  as  Sherman.  Lee  has  a 
heavy  handful  in  the  new  Suwarrow.  He  has  worse  odds 
than  any  one  else,  for  when  Grant  has  ten  thousand  slain, 
he  has  only  to  order  another  ten  thousand,  and  they  are 
there,  ready  to  step  out  to  the  front.  They  are  like  the 
leaves  of  Vallambrosa. 

August  29th. — I  take  my  hospital  duty  in  the  morning. 
Most  persons  prefer  afternoon,  but  I  dislike  to  give  up  my 
pleasant  evenings.  So  I  get  up  at  five  o'clock  and  go  down 
in  my  carriage  all  laden  with  provisions.  Mrs.  Fisher  and 
old  Mr.  Bryan  generally  go  with  me.  Provisions  are  com 
monly  sent  by  people  to  Mrs.  Fisher 's.  I  am  so  glad  to  be  a 
hospital  nurse  once  more.  I  had  excuses  enough,  but  at 
heart  I  felt  a  coward  and  a  skulker.  I  think  I  know  how 
men  feel  who  hire  a  substitute  and  shirk  the  fight.  There 

1  General  McPherson  was  killed  before  Atlanta  during  the  sortie 
made  by  Hood  on  July  22d.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  a  graduate  of 
West  Point,  and  under  Sherman  commanded  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

324 


ATLANTA    LOST 


must  be  no  dodging  of  duty.  It  will  not  do  now  to  send 
provisions  and  pay  for  nurses.  Something  inside  of  me 
kept  calling  out,  "  Go,  you  shabby  creature;  you  can't  bear 
to  see  what  those  fine  fellows  have  to  bear. ' ' 

Mrs.  Izard  was  staying  with  me  last  night,  and  as  I 
slipped  away  I  begged  Molly  to  keep  everything  dead  still 
and  not  let  Mrs.  Izard  be  disturbed  until  I  got  home. 
About  ten  I  drove  up  and  there  was  a  row  to  wake  the  dead. 
Molly 's  eldest  daughter,  who  nurses  her  baby  sister,  let  the 
baby  fall,  and,  regardless  of  Mrs.  Izard,  as  I  was  away, 
Molly  was  giving  the  nurse  a  switching  in  the  yard,  accom 
panied  by  howls  and  yells  worthy  of  a  Comanche!  The 
small  nurse  welcomed  my  advent,  no  doubt,  for  in  two  sec 
onds  peace  was  restored.  Mrs.  Izard  said  she  sympathized 
with  the  baby 's  mother ;  so  I  forgave  the  uproar. 

I  have  excellent  servants;  no  matter  for  their  short 
comings  behind  my  back.  They  save  me  all  thought  as  to 
household  matters,  and  they  are  so  kind,  attentive,  and 
quiet.  They  must  know  what  is  at  hand  if  Sherman  is  not 
hindered  from  coming  here — "  Freedom!  my  masters!  " 
But  these  sphinxes  give  no  sign,  unless  it  be  increased  dili 
gence  and  absolute  silence,  as  certain  in  their  action  and  as 
noiseless  as  a  law  of  nature,  at  any  rate  when  we  are  in  the 
house. 

That  fearful  hospital  haunts  me  all  day  long,  and  is 
worse  at  night.  So  much  suffering,  such  loathsome  wounds, 
such  distortion,  with  stumps  of  limbs  not  half  cured,  ex 
hibited  to  all.  Then,  when  I  was  so  tired  yesterday,  Molly 
was  looking  more  like  an  enraged  lioness  than  anything  else, 
roaring  that  her  baby 's  neck  was  broken,  and  howling  cries 
of  vengeance.  The  poor  little  careless  nurse's  dark  face 
had  an  ashen  tinge  of  gray  terror.  She  was  crouching  near 
the  ground  like  an  animal  trying  to  hide,  and  her  mother 
striking  at  her  as  she  rolled  away.  All  this  was  my  welcome 
as  I  entered  the  gate.  It  takes  these  half -Africans  but  a 
moment  to  go  back  to  their  naked  savage  animal  nature. 

325 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

Mrs.  Izard  is  a  charming  person.  She  tried  so  to  make  me 
forget  it  all  and  rest. 

September  2d. — The  battle  has  been  raging  at  Atlanta,1 
and  our  fate  hanging  in  the  balance.  Atlanta,  indeed,  is 
gone.  Well,  that  agony  is  over.  .Like  David,  when  the 
child  was  dead,  I  will  get  up  from  my  knees,  will  wash  my 
face  and  comb  my  hair.  No  hope;  we  will  try  to  have  no 
fear. 

At  the  Prestons '  I  found  them  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle 
every  moment  looking  for  the  Doctor  on  his  way  to  Rich 
mond.  Now,  to  drown  thought,  for  our  day  is  done,  read 
Dumas 's  Maitres  d'Armes.  Russia  ought  to  sympathize 
with  us.  We  are  not  as  barbarous  as  this,  even  if  Mrs. 
Stowe's  word  be  taken.  Brutal  men  with  unlimited  power 
are  the  same  all  over  the  world.  See  Russell 's  India — Bull 
Run  Russell's.  They  say  General  Morgan  has  been  killed. 
We  are  hard  as  stones;  we  sit  unmoved  and  hear  any  bad 
news  chance  may  bring.  Are  we  stupefied  ? 

September  19th. — My  pink  silk  dress  I  have  sold  for 
$600,  to  be  paid  for  in  instalments,  two  hundred  a  month 
for  three  months.  And  I  sell  my  eggs  and  butter  from  home 
for  two  hundred  dollars  a  month.  Does  it  not  sound  well 
—four  hundred  dollars  a  month  regularly.  But  in  what? 
In  Confederate  money.  Helas! 

September  21st.— Went  with  Mrs.  Rhett  to  hear  Dr. 
Palmer.  I  did  not  know  before  how  utterly  hopeless  was 
our  situation.  This  man  is  so  eloquent,  it  was  hard  to  listen 
and  not  give  way.  Despair  was  his  word,  and  martyrdom. 
He  offered  us  nothing  more  in  this  world  than  the  martyr's 
crown.  He  is  not  for  slavery,  he  says ;  he  is  for  freedom,  and 
the  freedom  to  govern  our  own  country  as  we  see  fit.  He  is 
against  foreign  interference  in  our  State  matters.  That  is 
what  Mr.  Palmer  went  to  war  for,  it  appears.  Every  day 

1  After  the  battle,  Atlanta  was  taken  possession  of  and  partly  burned 
by  the  Federals. 

326 


PRESIDENT   DAVIS   IN    COLUMBIA 

shows  that  slavery  is  doomed  the  world  over;  for  that  he 
thanked  God.  He  spoke  of  our  agony,  and  then  came  the 
cry,  "  Help  us,  0  God!  Vain  is  the  help  of  man."  And 
so  we  came  away  shaken  to  the  depths. 

The  end  has  come.  No  doubt  of  the  fact.  Our  army  has 
so  moved  as  to  uncover  Macon  and  Augusta.  We  are  going 
to  be  wiped  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  What  is  there  to  pre 
vent  Sherman  taking  General  Lee  in  the  rear?  We  have 
but  two  armies,  and  Sherman  is  between  them  now. l 

September  24th. — These  stories  of  our  defeats  in  the  val 
ley  fall  like  blows  upon  a  dead  body.  Since  Atlanta  fell  I 
have  felt  as  if  all  were  dead  within  me  forever.  Captain 
Ogden,  of  General  Chesnut's  staff,  dined  here  to-day.  Had 
ever  brigadier,  with  little  or  no  brigade,  so  magnificent  a 
staff?  The  reserves,  as  somebody  said,  have  been  secured 
only  by  robbing  the  cradle  and  the  grave — the  men  too  old, 
the  boys  too  young.  Isaac  Hayne,  Edward  Barnwell, 
Bacon,  Ogden,  Richardson,  Miles  are  the  picked  men  of 
the  agreeable  world. 

October  1st. — Mary  Cantey  Preston's  wedding  day  has 
come  and  gone  and  Mary  is  Mrs.  John  Darby  now.  Maggie 
Howell  dressed  the  bride 's  hair  beautifully,  they  said,  but  it 
was  all  covered  by  her  veil,  which  was  of  blond-lace,  and 
the  dress  tulle  and  blond-lace,  with  diamonds  and  pearls. 
The  bride  walked  up  the  aisle  on  her  father 's  arm,  Mrs.  Pres 
ton  on  Dr.  Darby 's.  I  think  it  was  the  handsomest  wedding 
party  I  ever  saw.  John  Darby  2  had  brought  his  wedding 

1  During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1864  several  important  battles 
had  occurred.     In  addition  to  the  engagements  by  Sherman's  army 
farther  south,  there  had  occurred  in  Virginia  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor 
in  the  early  part  of  June;  those  before  Petersburg  in  the  latter  part  of 
June  and  during  July  and  August ;  the  battle  of  Winchester  on  Septem 
ber  19th,  during  Sheridan's  Shenandoah  campaign,  and  the  battle  of 
Cedar  Creek  on  October  19th. 

2  After  the  war,  Dr.  Darby  became  professor  of  Surgery  in  the  Uni 
versity  of  the  City  of  New  York;  he  had  served  as  Medical  Director  in 
the  Army  of  the  Confederate  States  and  as  Professor  of  Anatomy  and 

327 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

uniform  home  with  him  from  England,  and  it  did  all  honor 
to  his  perfect  figure.  I  forget  the  name  of  his  London 
tailor — the  best,  of  course!  "  Well/'  said  Isabella,  "  it 
would  be  hard  for  any  man  to  live  up  to  those  clothes. ' ' 

And  now,  to  the  amazement  of  us  all,  Captain  Chesnut 
(Johnny)  who  knows  everything,  has  rushed  into  a  flirta 
tion  with  Buck  such  as  never  was.  He  drives  her  every  day, 
and  those  wild,  runaway,  sorrel  colts  terrify  my  soul  as 
they  go  tearing,  pitching,  and  darting  from  side  to  side  of 
the  street.  And  my  lady  enjoys  it.  When  he  leaves  her,  he 
kisses  her  hand,  bowing  so  low  to  do  it  unseen  that  we  see 
it  all. 

Saturday. — The  President  will  be  with  us  here  in  Colum 
bia  next  Tuesday,  so  Colonel  McLean  brings  us  word. 
I  have  begun  at  once  to  prepare  to  receive  him  in  my  small 
house.  His  apartments  have  been  decorated  as  well  as  Con 
federate  stringency  would  permit.  The  possibilities  were 
not  great,  but  I  did  what  I  could  for  our  honored  chief ;  be 
sides  I  .like  the  man — he  has  been  so  kind  to  me,  and  his  wife 
is  one  of  the  few  to  whom  I  can  never  be  grateful  enough  for 
her  generous  appreciation  and  attention. 

I  went  out  to  the  gate  to  greet  the  President,  who  met 
me  most  cordially;  kissed  me,  in  fact.  Custis  Lee  and 
Governor  Lubbock  were  at  his  back. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  (the  Presidential  party 
arrived  a  little  before  daylight)  General  Chesnut  drove 
off  with  the  President's  aides,  and  Mr.  Davis  sat  out  on 
our  piazza.  There  was  nobody  with  him  but  myself.  Some 
little  boys  strolling  by  called  out,  "  Come  here  and  look; 
there  is  a  man  on  Mrs.  Chesnut 's  porch  who  looks  just  like 
Jeff  Davis  on  postage-stamps."  People  began  to  gather  at 
once  on  the  street.  Mr.  Davis  then  went  in. 

Mrs.  McCord  sent  a  magnificent  bouquet — I  thought,  of 

Surgery  in  the  University  of  South  Carolina;  had  also  served  with  dis 
tinction  in  European  wars. 

328 


THE    OLD    LIFE    DIES    ROYALLY 

course,  for  the  President ;  but  she  gave  me  such  a  scolding 
afterward.  She  did  not  know  he  was  there ;  I,  in  my  mis 
take  about  the  bouquet,  thought  she  knew,  and  so  did  not 
send  her  word. 

The  President  was  watching  me  prepare  a  mint  julep 
for  Custis  Lee  when  Colonel  McLean  came  to  inform  us  that 
a  great  crowd  had  gathered  and  that  they  were  coming  to 
ask  the  President  to  speak  to  them  at  one  o'clock.  An  im 
mense  crowd  it  was — men,  women,  and  children.  The 
crowd  overflowed  the  house,  the  President 's  hand  was  nearly 
shaken  off.  I  went  to  the  rear,  my  head  intent  on  the  din 
ner  to  be  prepared  for  him,  with  only  a  Confederate  com 
missariat.  But  the  patriotic  public  had  come  to  the  rescue. 
I  had  been  gathering  what  I  could  of  eatables  for  a  month, 
and  now  I  found  that  nearly  everybody  in  Columbia  was 
sending  me  whatever  they  had  that  they  thought  nice 
enough  for  the  President's  dinner.  We  had  the  sixty-year- 
old  Madeira  from  Mulberry,  and  the  beautiful  old  china, 
etc.  Mrs.  Preston  sent  a  boned  turkey  stuffed  with  truffles, 
stuffed  tomatoes,  and  stuffed  peppers.  Each  made  a  dish 
as  pretty  as  it  was  appetizing. 

A  mob  of  small  boys  only  came  to  pay  their  respects  to 
the  President.  He  seemed  to  know  how  to  meet  that  odd 
delegation. 

Then  the  President 's  party  had  to  go,  and  we  bade  them 
an  affectionate  farewell.  Custis  Lee  and  I  had  spent  much 
time  gossiping  on  the  back  porch.  While  I  was  concocting 
dainties  for  the  dessert,  he  sat  on  the  banister  with  a  cigar 
in  his  mouth.  He  spoke  very  candidly,  telling  me  many  a 
hard  truth  for  the  Confederacy,  and  about  the  bad  time 
which  was  at  hand. 

October  18th. — Ten  pleasant  days  I  owe  to  my  sister. 
Kate  has  descended  upon  me  unexpectedly  from  the  moun 
tains  of  Flat  Rock.  We  are  true  sisters;  she  understands 
me  without  words,  and  she  is  the  cleverest,  sweetest  woman 
I  know,  so  graceful  and  gracious  in  manner,  so  good  and  un- 

329 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

selfish  in  character,  but,  best  of  all,  she  is  so  agreeable.  Any 
time  or  place  would  be  charming  with  Kate  for  a  compan 
ion.  General  Chesnut  was  in  Camden;  but  I  could  not 
wait.  I  gave  the  beautiful  bride,  Mrs.  Darby,  a  dinner, 
which  was  simply  perfection.  I*  was  satisfied  for  once  in 
my  life  with  my  own  table,  and  I  know  pleasanter  guests 
were  never  seated  around  any  table  whatsoever. 

My  house  is  always  crowded.  After  all,  what  a  number 
of  pleasant  people  we  have  been  thrown  in  with  by  war's 
catastrophes.  I  call  such  society  glorious.  It  is  the  wind- 
up,  but  the  old  life  as  it  begins  to  die  will  die  royally.  Gen 
eral  Chesnut  came  back  disheartened.  He  complains  that 
such  a  life  as  I  lead  gives  him  no  time  to  think. 

October  28th. — Burton  Harrison  writes, to  General  Pres 
ton  that  supreme  anxiety  reigns  in  Richmond. 

Oh,  for  one  single  port !  If  the  Alabama  had  had  in  the 
whole  wide  world  a  port  to  take  her  prizes  to  and  where 
she  could  be  refitted,  I  believe  she  would  have  borne  us 
through.  Oh,  for  one  single  port  by  which  we  could  get  at 
the  outside  world  and  refit  our  whole  Confederacy !  If  we 
could  have  hired  regiments  from  Europe,  or  even  have  im 
ported  ammunition  and  food  for  our  soldiers ! 

*  *  Some  days  must  be  dark  and  dreary. ' '  At  the  mantua- 
maker  's,  however,  I  saw  an  instance  of  faith  in  our  future : 
a  bride's  paraphernalia,  and  the  radiant  bride  herself,  the 
bridegroom  expectant  and  elect  now  within  twenty  miles  of 
Chattanooga  and  outward  bound  to  face  the  foe. 

Saw  at  the  Laurens's  not  only  Lizzie  Hamilton,  a  per 
fect  little  beauty,  but  the  very  table  the  first  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  written  upon.  These  Laurenses  are 
grandchildren  of  Henry  Laurens,  of  the  first  Revolution. 
Alas !  we  have  yet  to  make  good  our  second  declaration  of 
independence — Southern  independence — from  Yankee  med 
dling  and  Yankee  rule.  Hood  has  written  to  ask  them  to 
send  General  Chesnut  out  to  command  one  of  his  brigades. 
In  whose  place? 

330 


HOOD'S   PLANS 


If  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  had  lived !  Poor  old  General 
Lee  has  no  backing.  Stonewall  would  have  saved  us  from 
Antietam.  Sherman  will  now  catch  General  Lee  by  the  rear, 
while  Grant  holds  him  by  the  head,  and  while  Hood  and 
Thomas  are  performing  an  Indian  war-dance  on  the  fron 
tier.  Hood  means  to  cut  his  way  to  Lee ;  see  if  he  doesn  't. 
The  ' '  Yanks  ' '  have  had  a  struggle  for  it.  More  than  once 
we  seemed  to  have  been  too  much  for  them.  We  have  been 
so  near  to  success  it  aches  one  to  think  of  it.  So  runs  the 
table-talk. 

Next  to  our  house,  which  Isabella  calls  "  Tillytudlem, " 
since  Mr.  Davis 's  visit,  is  a  common  of  green  grass  and  very 
level,  beyond  which  comes  a  belt  of  pine-trees.  On  this  open 
space,  within  forty  paces  of  us,  a  regiment  of  foreign  de 
serters  has  camped.  They  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  our  government,  and  are  now  being  drilled  and  disci 
plined  into  form  before  being  sent  to  our  army.  They  are 
mostly  Germans,  with  some  Irish,  however.  Their  close 
proximity  keeps  me  miserable.  Traitors  once,  traitors  for 
ever. 

Jordan  has  always  been  held  responsible  for  all  the  fool 
ish  proclamations,  and,  indeed,  for  whatever  Beauregard 
reported  or  proclaimed.  Now  he  has  left  that  mighty  chief, 
and,  lo,  here  comes  from  Beauregard  the  silliest  and  most 
boastful  of  his  military  bulletins.  He  brags  of  Shiloh ;  that 
was  not  the  way  the  story  was  told  to  us. 

A  letter  from  Mrs.  Davis,  who  says:  "  Thank  you,  a 
thousand  times,  my  dear  friend,  for  your  more  than  mater 
nal  kindness  to  my  dear  child. ' '  That  is  what  she  calls  her 
sister,  Maggie  Howell.  "  As  to  Mr.  Davis,  he  thinks  the  best 
ham,  the  best  Madeira,  the  best  coffee,  the  best  hostess  in 
the  world,  rendered  Columbia  delightful  to  him  when  he 
passed  through.  We  are  in  a  sad  and  anxious  state  here 
just  now.  The  dead  come  in ;  but  the  living  do  not  go  out 
so  fast.  However,  we  hope  all  things  and  trust  in  God  as 
the  only  one  able  to  resolve  the  opposite  state  of  feeling  into 
23  331 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

a  triumphant,  happy  whole.  I  had  a  surprise  of  an  unusu 
ally  gratifying  nature  a  few  days  since.  I  found  I  could 
not  keep  my  horses,  so  I  sold  them.  The  next  day  they  were 
returned  to  me  with  a  handsome  anonymous  note  to  the 
effect  that  they  had  been  bought  by  a  few  friends  for  me. 
But  I  fear  I  can  not  feed  them.  Strictly  between  us,  things 
look  very  anxious  here/' 

November  6tk. — Sally  Hampton  went  to  Richmond  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Martin.  She  arrived  there  on  Wednesday.  On 
Thursday  her  father,  Wade  Hampton,  fought  a  great  bat 
tle,  but  just  did  not  win  it — a  victory  narrowly  missed. 
Darkness  supervened  and  impenetrable  woods  prevented 
that  longed-for  consummation.  Preston  Hampton  rode 
recklessly  into  the  hottest  fire.  His  father  sent  his  brother, 
Wade,  to  bring  h,im  back.  Wade  saw  him  reel  in  the  saddle 
and  galloped  up  to  him,  General  Hampton  following.  As 
young  W^ade  reached  him,  Preston  fell  from  his  horse,  and 
the  one  brother,  stooping  to  raise  the  other,  was  himself  shot 
down.  Preston  recognized  his  father,  but  died  without 
speaking  a  word.  Young  Wade,  though  wounded,  held  his 
brother's  head  up.  Tom  Taylor  and  others  hurried  up.  The 
General  took  his  dead  son  in  his  arms,  kissed  him,  and  hand 
ed  his  body  to  Tom  Taylor  and  his  friends,  bade  them  take 
care  of  Wade,  and  then  rode  back  to  his  post.  At  the  head  of 
his  troops  in  the  thickest  of  the  fray  he  directed  the  fight  for 
the  rest  of  the  day.  Until  night  he  did  not  know  young 
Wade's  fate;  that  boy  might  be  dead,  too!  Now,  he  says, 
no  son  of  his  must  be  in  his  command.  When  Wade  recov 
ers,  he  must  join  some  other  division.  The  agony  of  such  a 
day,  and  the  anxiety  and  the  duties  of  the  battle-field — it  is 
all  more  than  a  mere  man  can  bear. 

Another  letter  from  Mrs.  Davis.  She  says:  "  I  was 
dreadfully  shocked  at  Preston  Hampton's  fate — his  un 
timely  fate.  I  know  nothing  more  touching  in  history  than 
General  Hampton's  situation  at  the  supremest  moment  of 
his  misery,  when  he  sent  one  son  to  save  the  other  and  saw 

332 


WADE    HAMPTON'S    TWO    SONS    FALL 

both  fall;  and  could  not  know  for  some  moments  whether 
both  were  not  killed/' 

A  thousand  dollars  have  slipped  through  my  fingers  al 
ready  this  week.  At  the  Commissary 's  I  spent  five  hundred 
to-day  for  candles,  sugar,  and  a  lamp,  etc.  Tallow  can 
dles  are  bad  enough,  but  of  them  there  seems  to  be  an  end, 
too.  Now  we  are  restricted  to  smoky,  terrabine  lamps — 
terrabine  is  a  preparation  of  turpentine.  When  the  chim 
ney  of  the  lamp  cracks,  as  crack  it  will,  we  plaster  up  the 
place  with  paper,  thick  old  letter-paper,  preferring  the 
highly  glazed  kind.  In  the  hunt  for  paper  queer  old  let 
ters  come  to  light. 

Sherman,  in  Atlanta,  has  left  Thomas  to  take  care  of 
Hood.  Hood  has  thirty  thousand  men,  Thomas  forty  thou 
sand,  and  as  many  more  to  be  had  as  he  wants ;  he  has  only 
to  ring  the  bell  and  call  for  them.  Grant  can  get  all  that 
he  wants,  both  for  himself  and  for  Thomas.  All  the  world 
is  open  to  them,  while  we  are  shut  up  in  a  bastile.  We 
are  at  sea,  and  our  boat  has  sprung  a  leak. 

November  17th. — Although  Sherman  1  took  Atlanta,  he 
does  not  mean  to  stay  there,  be  it  heaven  or  hell.  Fire  and 
the  sword  are  for  us  here;  that  is  the  word.  And  now  I 
must  begin  my  Columbia  life  anew  and  alone.  It  will  be  a 
short  shrift. 

Captain  Ogden  came  to  dinner  on  Sunday  and  in  the 
afternoon  asked  me  to  go  with  him  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  hear  Mr.  Palmer.  We  went,  and  I  felt  very 


1  General  Sherman  had  started  from  Chattanooga  for  his  march 
across  Georgia  on  May  6,  1864.  He  had  won  the  battles  of  Dalton, 
Resaca,  and  New  Hope  Church  in  May,  the  battle  of  Kennesaw  Moun 
tain  in  June,  the  battles  of  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  Atlanta  in  July,  and 
had  formally  occupied  Atlanta  on  September  2d.  On  November 
16th,  he  started  on  his  march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea  and  entered  Sa 
vannah  on  December  23d.  Early  in  1865  he  moved  his  army  north 
ward  through  the  Carolinas,  and  on  April  26th  received  the  surrender 
of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

333 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

youthful,  as  the  country  people  say;  like  a  girl  and  her 
beau.  Ogden  took  me  into  a  pew  and  my  husband  sat  afar 
off.  What  a  sermon !  The  preacher  stirred  my  blood.  My 
very  flesh  crept  and  tingled.  A  red-hot  glow  of  patriotism 
passed  through  me.  Such  a  sernlbn  must  strengthen  the 
hearts  and  the  hands  of  many  people.  There  was  more  ex 
hortation  to  fight  and  die,  a  la  Joshua,  than  meek  Chris 
tianity. 

November  25th. — Sherman  is  thundering  at  Augusta 's 
very  doors.  My  General  was  on  the  wing,  somber,  and  full 
of  care.  The  girls  are  merry  enough ;  the  staff,  who  fairly 
live  here,  no  better.  Cassandra,  with  a  black  shawl  over  her 
head,  is  chased  by  the  gay  crew  from  sofa  to  sofa,  for  she 
avoids  them,  being  full  of  miserable  anxiety.  There  is 
nothing  but  distraction  and  confusion.  All  things  tend  to 
the  preparation  for  the  departure  of  the  troops.  It  rains  all 
the  time,  such  rains  as  I  never  saw  before;  incessant  tor 
rents.  These  men  come  in  and  out  in  the  red  mud  and 
slush  of  Columbia  streets.  Things  seem  dismal  and 
wretched  to  me  to  the  last  degree,  but  the  staff,  the  girls, 
and  the  youngsters  do  not  see  it. 

Mrs.  S.  (born  in  Connecticut)  came,  and  she  was  ra 
diant.  She  did  not  come  to  see  me,  but  my  nieces.  She 
says  exultingly  that  "  Sherman  will  open  a  way  out  at  last, 
and  I  will  go  at  once  to  Europe  or  go  North  to  my  relatives 
there/'  How  she  derided  our  misery  and  "  mocked  when 
our  fear  cometh. ' '  I  dare  say  she  takes  me  for  a  fool.  I  sat 
there  dumb,  although  she  was  in  my  own  house.  I  have 
heard  of  a  woman  so  enraged  that  she  struck  some  one  over 
the  head  with  a  shovel.  To-day,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life,  I  know  how  that  mad  woman  felt.  I  could  have  given 
Mrs.  S.  the  benefit  of  shovel  and  tongs  both. 

That  splendid  fellow,  Preston  Hampton;  "  home  they 
brought  their  warrior,  dead,"  and  wrapped  in  that  very 
Legion  flag  he  had  borne  so  often  in  battle  with  his  own 
hands. 

334 


WAITING   FOR   SPRING 


A  letter  from  Mrs.  Davis  to-day,  under  date  of  Rich 
mond,  Va.,  November  20,  1864.  She  says :  * '  Affairs  West 
are  looking  so  critical  now  that,  before  you  receive  this,  you 
and  I  will  be  in  the  depths  or  else  triumphant.  I  confess  I 
do  not  sniff  success  in  every  passing  breeze,  but  I  am  so 
tired,  hoping,  fearing,  and  being  disappointed,  that  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  not  to  be  disconsolate,  even  though 
thieves  break  through  and  steal.  Some  people  expect  an 
other  attack  upon  Richmond  shortly,  but  I  think  the  ava 
lanche  will  not  slide  until  the  spring  breaks  up  its  winter 
quarters.  I  have  a  blind  kind  of  prognostics  of  victory  for 
us,  but  somehow  I  am  not  cheered.  The  temper  of  Congress 
is  less  vicious,  but  more  concerted  in  its  hostile  action." 
Mrs.  Davis  is  a  woman  that  my  heart  aches  for  in  the 
troubles  ahead. 

My  journal,  a  quire  of  Confederate  paper,  lies  wide 
open  on  my  desk  in  the  corner  of  my  drawing-room.  Every 
body  reads  it  who  chooses.  Buck  comes  regularly  to  see 
what  I  have  written  last,  and  makes  faces  when  it  does  not 
suit  her.  Isabella  still  calls  me  Cassandra,  and  puts  her 
hands  to  her  ears  when  I  begin  to  wail.  Well,  Cassandra 
only  records  what  she  hears ;  she  does  not  vouch  for  it.  For 
really,  one  nowadays  never  feels  certain  of  anything. 

November  28th.— We  dined  at  Mrs.  McCord's.  She  is 
as  strong  a  cordial  for  broken  spirits  and  failing  heart  as 
one  could  wish.  How  her  strength  contrasts  with  our  weak 
ness.  Like  Doctor  Palmer,  she  strings  one  up  to  bear 
bravely  the  worst.  She  has  the  intellect  of  a  man  and  the 
perseverance  and  endurance  of  a  woman. 

We  have  lost  nearly  all  of  our  men,  and  we  have  no 
money,  and  it  looks  as  if  we  had  taught  the  Yankees  how  to 
fight  since  Manassas.  Our  best  and  bravest  are  under  the 
sod ;  we  shall  have  to  wait  till  another  generation  grows  up. 
Here  we  stand,  despair  in  our  hearts  ("  Oh,  Cassandra, 
don't!  "  shouts  Isabella),  with  our  houses  burning  or  about 
to  be,  over  our  heads. 

335 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 


The  North  have  just  got  things  ship-shape;  a  splendid 
army,  perfectly  disciplined,  with  new  levies  coming  in  day 
and  night.  Their  gentry  do  not  go  into  the  ranks.  They 
hardly  know  there  is  a  war  up  there. 

December  1st. — At  Coosawhatchie  Yankees  are  landing 
in  great  force.  Our  troops  down  there  are  raw  militia,  old 
men  and  boys  never  under  fire  before ;  some  college  cadets, 
in  all  a  mere  handful.  The  cradle  and  the  grave  have  been 
robbed  by  us,  they  say.  Sherman  goes  to  Savannah  and  not 
to  Augusta. 

December  3d. — Isabella  and  I  put  on  bonnets  and 
shawls  and  went  deliberately  out  for  news.  We  determined 
to  seek  until  we  found.  Met  a  man  who  was  so  ugly,  I  could 
not  forget  him  or  his  sobriquet ;  he  was  awfully  in  love  with 
me  once.  He  did  not  know  me,  but  blushed  hotly  when  Isa 
bella  told  him  who  I  was.  He  had  forgotten  me,  I  hope,  or 
else  I  am  changed  by  age  and  care  past  all  recognition.  He 
gave  us  the  encouraging  information  that  Grahamville  had 
been  burned  to  the  ground. 

When  the  call  for  horses  was  made,  Mrs.  McCord  sent 
in  her  fine  bays.  She  comes  now  with  a  pair  of  mules,  and 
looks  too  long  and  significantly  at  my  ponies.  If  I  were  not 
so  much  afraid  of  her,  I  would  hint  that  those  mules  would 
be  of  far  more  use  in  camp  than  my  ponies.  But  they  will 
seize  the  ponies,  no  doubt. 

In  all  my  life  before,  the  stables  were  far  off  from  the 
house  and  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  them.  Now  my  ponies 
are  kept  under  an  open  shed  next  to  the  back  piazza.  Here 
I  sit  with  my  work,  or  my  desk,  or  my  book,  basking  in  our 
Southern  sun,  and  I  watch  Nat  feed,  curry,  and  rub  down 
the  horses,  and  then  he  cleans  their  stables  as  thoroughly  as 
Smith  does  my  drawing-room.  I  see  their  beds  of  straw  com 
fortably  laid.  Nat  says,  "  Ow,  Missis,  ain't  lady's  busi 
ness  to  look  so  much  in  de  stables."  I  care  nothing  for  his 
grumbling,  and  I  have  never  had  horses  in  better  condition. 
Poor  ponies,  you  deserve  every  attention,  and  enough  to 

336 


HOOD    AND    THOMAS 


eat.  Grass  does  not  grow  under  your  feet.  By  night  and 
day  you  are  on  the  trot. 

To-day  General  Chesnut  was  in  Charleston  on  his  way 
from  Augusta  to  Savannah  by  rail.  The  telegraph  is  still 
working  between  Charleston  and  Savannah.  Grahamville 
certainly  is  burned.  There  was  fighting  down  there  to-day. 
I  came  home  with  enough  to  think  about,  Heaven  knows! 
And  then  all  day  long  we  compounded  a  pound  cake  in 
honor  of  Mrs.  Cuthbert,  who  has  things  so  nice  at  home. 
The  cake  was  a  success,  but  was  it  worth  all  that  trouble  ? 

As  my  party  were  driving  off  to  the  concert,  an  omnibus 
rattled  up.  Enter  Captain  Leland,  of  General  Chesnut 's 
staff,  of  as  imposing  a  presence  as  a  field-marshal,  handsome 
and  gray-haired.  He  was  here  on  some  military  errand  and 
brought  me  a  letter.  He  said  the  Yankees  had  been  re 
pulsed,  and  that  down  in  those  swamps  we  could  give  a 
good  account  of  ourselves  if  our  government  would  send 
men  enough.  With  a  sufficient  army  to  meet  them  down 
there,  they  could  be  annihilated.  "  Where  are  the  men  to 
come  from?  "  asked  Mamie,  wildly.  "  General  Hood  has 
gone  off  to  Tennessee.  Even  if  he  does  defeat  Thomas 
there,  what  difference  would  that  make  here?  " 

December  3d. — We  drank  tea  at  Mrs.  McCord 's;  she 
had  her  troubles,  too.  The  night  before  a  country  cousin 
claimed  her  hospitality,  one  who  fain  would  take  the  train 
at  five  this  morning.  A  little  after  midnight  Mrs.  McCord 
was  startled  out  of  her  first  sleep  by  loud  ringing  of  bells ; 
an  alarm  at  night  may  mean  so  much  just  now.  In  an  in 
stant  she  was  on  her  feet.  She  found  her  guest,  who 
thought  it  was  daylight,  and  wanted  to  go.  Mrs.  McCord 
forcibly  demonstrated  how  foolish  it  was  to  get  up  five 
hours  too  soon.  Mrs.  McCord,  once  more  in  her  own  warm 
bed,  had  fallen  happily  to  sleep.  She  was  waked  by  feeling 
two  ice-cold  hands  pass  cautiously  over  her  face  and  person. 
It  was  pitch  dark.  Even  Mrs.  McCord  gave  a  scream  in  her 
fright.  She  found  it  was  only  the  irrepressible  guest  up 

337 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

and  at  her  again.  So,  though  it  was  only  three  o'clock,  hi 
order  to  quiet  this  perturbed  spirit  she  rose  and  at  five 
drove  her  to  the  station,  where  she  had  to  wait  some  hours. 
But  Mrs.  McCord  said,  "  anything  for  peace  at  home." 
The  restless  people  who  will  not  let  others  rest! 

December  5th. — Miss  Olivia  Middleton  and  Mr.  Fred 
erick  Blake  are  to  be  married.  We  Confederates  have  in 
vented  the  sit-up-all-night  for  the  wedding  night;  Isabella 
calls  it  the  wake,  not  the  wedding,  of  the  parties  married. 
The  ceremony  will  be  performed  early  in  the  evening ;  the 
whole  company  will  then  sit  up  until  five  o'clock,  at  which 
hour  the  bridal  couple  take  the  train  for  Combahee.  Hope 
Sherman  will  not  be  so  inconsiderate  as  to  cut  short  the 
honeymoon. 

In  tripped  Brewster,  with  his  hat  on  his  head,  both 
hands  extended,  and  his  greeting,  "  Well,  here  we  are!  " 
He  was  travel-stained,  disheveled,  grimy  with  dirt.  The 
prophet  would  have  to  send  him  many  times  to  bathe  in 
Jordan  before  he  could  be  pronounced  clean. 

Hood  will  not  turn  and  pursue  Sherman.  Thomas  is  at 
his  heels  with  forty  thousand  men,  and  can  have  as  many 
more  as  he  wants  for  the  asking.  Between  Thomas  and 
Sherman  Hood  would  be  crushed.  So  he  was  pushing — I 
do  not  remember  where  or  what.  I  know  there  was  no  com 
fort  in  anything  he  said. 

Serena 's  account  of  money  spent :  Paper  and  envelopes, 
$12.00 ;  tickets  to  concert,  $10.00 ;  tooth-brush,  $10.00 ;  total, 
$32.00. 

December  14th. — And  now  the  young  ones  are  in  bed 
and  I  am  wide  awake.  It  is  an  odd  thing;  in  all  my  life 
how  many  persons  have  I  seen  in  love?  Not  a  half-dozen. 
And  I  am  a  tolerably  close  observer,  a  faithful  watcher 
have  I  been  from  my  youth  upward  of  men  and  manners. 
Society  has  been  for  me  only  an  enlarged  field  for  character 
study. 

Flirtation  is  the  business  of  society;  that  is,  playing  at 

338 


BATTLE    OF    NASHVILLE 


love-making.  It  begins  in  vanity,  it  ends  in  vanity.  It  is 
spurred  on  by  idleness  and  a  want  of  any  other  excitement. 
Flattery,  battledore  and  shuttlecock,  how  in  this  game  flat 
tery  is  dashed  backward  and  forward.  It  is  so  soothing  to 
self-conceit.  If  it  begins  and  ends  in  vanity,  vexation  of 
spirit  supervenes  sometimes.  They  do  occasionally  burn 
their  fingers  awfully,  playing  with  fire,  but  there  are  no 
hearts  broken.  Each  party  in  a  flirtation  has  secured  a 
sympathetic  listener,  to  whom  he  or  she  can  talk  of  himself 
or  herself — somebody  who,  for  the  time,  admires  one  ex 
clusively,  and,  as  the  French  say,  excessivement.  It  is  a 
pleasant,  but  very  foolish  game,  and  so  to  bed. 

Hood  and  Thomas  have  had  a  fearful  fight,  with  car 
nage  and  loss  of  generals  excessive  in  proportion  to  num 
bers.  That  means  they  were  leading  and  urging  their  men 
up  to  the  enemy.  I  know  how  Bartow  and  Barnard  Bee 
were  killed  bringing  up  their  men.  One  of  Mr.  Chesnut's 
sins  thrown  in  his  teeth  by  the  Legislature  of  South  Caro 
lina  was  that  he  procured  the  promotion  of  Gist,  "  State 
Rights  "  Gist,  by  his  influence  in  Richmond.  What  have 
these  comfortable,  stay-at-home  patriots  to  say  of  General 
Gist  now?  "  And  how  could  man  die  better  than  facing 
fearful  odds,"  etc. 

So  Fort  McAlister  has  fallen !  Good-by,  Savannah ! 
Our  Governor  announces  himself  a  follower  of  Joe  Brown, 
of  Georgia.  Another  famous  Joe. 

December  19th. — The  deep  waters  are  closing  over  us 
and  we  are  in  this  house,  like  the  outsiders  at  the  time  of  the 
flood.  We  care  for  none  of  these  things.  We  eat,  drink, 
laugh,  dance,  in  lightness  of  heart. 

Doctor  Trezevant  came  to  tell  me  the  dismal  news.  How 
he  piled  on  the  agony!  Desolation,  mismanagement,  de 
spair.  General  Young,  with  the  flower  of  Hampton's  cav 
alry,  is  in  Columbia.  Horses  can  not  be  found  to  mount 
them.  Neither  the  Governor  of  Georgia  nor  the  Governor 
of  South  Carolina  is  moving  hand  or  foot.  They  have  given 

339 


July6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

up.  The  Yankees  claim  another  victory  for  Thomas.1  Hope 
it  may  prove  like  most  of  their  victories,  brag  and  bluster. 
Can't  say  why,  maybe  I  am  benumbed,  but  I  do  not  feel 
so  intensely  miserable. 

December  27th. — Oh,  why  did.we  go  to  Camden?  The 
very  dismalest  Christmas  overtook  us  there.  Miss  Rhett 
went  with  us — a  brilliant  woman  and  very  agreeable.  '  *  The 
world,  you  know,  is  composed, ' '  said  she,  * '  of  men,  women, 
and  Rhetts  "  (see  Lady  Montagu).  Now,  we  feel  that  if 
we  are  to  lose  our  negroes,  we  would  as  soon  see  Sherman 
free  them  as  the  Confederate  Government ;  freeing  negroes 
is  the  last  Confederate  Government  craze.  We  are  a  little 
too  slow  about  it;  that  is  all. 

Sold  fifteen  bales  of  cotton  and  took  a  sad  farewell  look 
at  Mulberry.  It  is  a  magnificent  old  country-seat,  with  old 
oaks,  green  lawns  and  all.  So  I  took  that  last  farewell  of 
Mulberry,  once  so  hated,  now  so  beloved. 

January  7th. — Sherman  is  at  Hardieville  and  Hood  in 
Tennessee,  the  last  of  his  men  not  gone,  as  Louis  Wigfall 
so  cheerfully  prophesied. 

Serena  went  for  a  half-hour  to-day  to  the  dentist.  Her 
teeth  are  of  the  whitest  and  most  regular,  simply  perfection. 
She  fancied  it  was  better  to  have  a  dentist  look  in  her  mouth 
before  returning  to  the  mountains.  For  that  look  she  paid 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  Confederate  money. 
' '  Why,  has  this  money  any  value  at  all  ?  "  she  asked.  Lit 
tle  enough  in  all  truth,  sad  to  say. 

Brewster  was  here  and  stayed  till  midnight.  Said  he 
must  see  General  Chesnut.  He  had  business  with  him. 
His  "  me  and  General  Hood  "  is  no  longer  cornic.  He 
described  Sherman's  march  of  destruction  and  desolation. 
' '  Sherman  leaves  a  track  fifty  miles  wide,  upon  which  there 


1  Reference  is  here  made  to  the  battle  between  Hood  and  Thomas 
at  Nashville,  the  result  of  which  was  the  breaking  up  of  Hood's  army 
as  a  fighting  force. 

340 


SHERMAN'S   DESOLATE    TRACK 

is  no  living  thing  to  be  seen,"  said  Brewster  before  he  de 
parted. 

January  10th. — You  do  the  Anabasis  business  when  you 
want  to  get  out  of  the  enemy 's  country,  and  the  Thermopy 
lae  business  when  they  want  to  get  into  your  country.  But 
we  retreated  in  our  own  country  and  we  gave  up  our  moun 
tain  passes  without  a  blow.  But  never  mind  the  Greeks ;  if 
we  had  only  our  own  Game  Cock,  Sumter,  our  own  Swamp 
Fox,  Marion.  Marion 's  men  or  Sumter 's,  or  the  equivalent 
of  them,  now  lie  under  the  sod,  in  Virginia  or  Tennessee. 

January  14th. — Yesterday  I  broke  down — gave  way  to 
abject  terror  under  the  news  of  Sherman's  advance  with  no 
news  of  my  husband.  To-day,  while  wrapped  up  on  the 
sofa,  too  dismal  even  for  moaning,  there  was  a  loud  knock. 
Shawls  on  and  all,  just  as  I  was,  I  rushed  to  the  door  to  find 
a  telegram  from  my  husband :  * '  All  well ;  be  at  home  Tues 
day."  It  was  dated  from  Adam's  Run.  I  felt  as  light- 
hearted  as  if  the  war  were  over.  Then  I  looked  at  the  date 
and  the  place — Adam's  Run.  It  ends  as  it  began — in  a  run 
— Bull's  Run,  from  which  their  first  sprightly  running  as 
tounded  the  world,  and  now  Adam's  Run.  But  if  we  must 
run,  who  are  left  to  run?  From  Bull  Run  they  ran  full- 
handed.  But  we  have  fought  until  maimed  soldiers,  women, 
and  children  are  all  that  remain  to  run. 

To-day  Kershaw's  brigade,  or  what  is  left  of  it,  passed 
through.  What  shouts  greeted  it  and  what  bold  shouts  of 
thanks  it  returned !  It  was  all  a  very  encouraging  noise,  ab 
solutely  comforting.  Some  true  men  are  left,  after  all. 

January  16th. — My  husband  is  at  home  once  more — for 
how  long,  I  do  not  know.  His  aides  fill  the  house,  and  a 
group  of  hopelessly  wounded  haunt  the  place.  The  drilling 
and  the  marching  go  on  outside.  It  rains  a  flood,  with 
freshet  after  freshet.  The  forces  of  nature  are  befriending 
us,  for  our  enemies  have  to  make  their  way  through  swamps. 

A  month  ago  my  husband  wrote  me  a  letter  which  I 
promptly  suppressed  after  showing  it  to  Mrs.  McCord.  He 

341 


July  6,  1864  COLUMBIA,    S.    C.  Jan.  17,  1865 

warned  us  to  make  ready,  for  the  end  had  come.  Our  re 
sources  were  exhausted,  and  the  means  of  resistance  could 
not  be  found.  We  could  not  bring  ourselves  to  believe  it, 
and  now,  he  thinks,  with  the  railroad  all  blown  up,  the 
swamps  made  impassable  by  the  freshets,  which  have  no  time 
to  subside,  so  constant  is  the  rain,  and  the  negroes  utterly 
apathetic  (would  they  be  so  if  they  saw  us  triumphant?),  if 
we  had  but  an  army  to  seize  the  opportunity  we  might  do 
something;  but  there  are  no  troops;  that  is  the  real  trouble. 

To-day  Mrs.  McCord  exchanged  $16,000  in  Confederate 
bills  for  $300  in  gold — sixteen  thousand  for  three  hundred. 

January  17th. — The  Bazaar  for  the  benefit  of  the  hos 
pitals  opens  now.  Sherman  marches  constantly.  All  the 
railroads  are  smashed,  and  if  I  laugh  at  any  mortal  thing  it 
is  that  I  may  not  weep.  Generals  are  as  plenty  as  blackber 
ries,  but  none  are  in  command. 

The  Peace  Commissioner,  Blair,  came.  They  say  he 
gave  Mr.  Davis  the  kiss  of  peace.  And  we  send  Stephens, 
Campbell,  all  who  have  believed  in  this  thing,  to  negotiate 
for  peace.  No  hope,  no  good.  Who  dares  hope  1 

Repressed  excitement  in  church.  A  great  railroad 
character  was  called  out.  He  soon  returned  and  whis 
pered  something  to  Joe  Johnston  and  they  went  out 
together.  Somehow  the  whisper  moved  around  to  us 
that  Sherman  was  at  Branchville.  "  Grant  us  patience, 
good  Lord/'  was  prayed  aloud.  "  Not  Ulysses  Grant,  good 
Lord,"  murmured  Teddy,  profanely.  Hood  came  yester 
day.  He  is  staying  at  the  Prestons '  with  Jack.  They  sent 
for  us.  What  a  heartfelt  greeting  he  gave  us.  He  can 
stand  well  enough  without  his  crutch,  but  he  does  very  slow 
walking.  How  plainly  he  spoke  out  dreadful  words  about 
1 1  my  defeat  and  discomfiture ;  my  army  destroyed,  my 
losses, "  etc.,  etc.  He  said  he  had  nobody  to  blame  but  him 
self.  A  telegram  from  Beauregard  to-day  to  my  husband. 
He  does  not  know  whether  Sherman  intends  to  advance  on 
Branchville,  Charleston,  or  Columbia 

342 


HOOD'S   MEMORIES 


Isabella  said:  "  Maybe  you  attempted  the  impossible," 
and  began  one  of  her  merriest  stories.  Jack  Preston  touched 
me  on  the  arm  and  we  slipped  out.  "  He  did  not  hear  a 
word  she  was  saying.  He  has  forgotten  us  all.  Did  you  no 
tice  how  he  stared  in  the  fire?  And  the  lurid  spots  which 
came  out  in  his  face  and  the  drops  of  perspiration  that 
stood  on  his  forehead?  '  *  Yes.  He  is  going  over  some 
bitter  scene ;  he  sees  Willie  Preston  with  his  heart  shot  away. 
He  sees  the  panic  at  Nashville  and  the  dead  on  the  battle 
field  at  Franklin."  "  That  agony  on  his  face  comes  again 
and  again,"  said  tender-hearted  Jack.  "  I  can't  keep  him 
out  of  those  absent  fits. ' ' 

Governor  McGrath  and  General  Winder  talk  of  prep 
arations  for  a  defense  of  Columbia.  If  Beauregard  can't 
stop  Sherman  down  there,  what  have  we  got  here  to  do  it 
with?  Can  we  check  or  impede  his  march?  Can  any  one? 

Last  night  General  Hampton  came  in.  I  am  sure  he 
would  do  something  to  save  us  if  he  were  put  in  supreme 
command  here.  Hampton  says  Joe  Johnston  is  equal,  if 
not  superior,  to  Lee  as  a  commanding  officer. 

My  silver  is  in  a  box  and  has  been  delivered  for  safe 
keeping  to  Isaac  McLaughlin,  who  is  really  my  beau-ideal 
of  a  grateful  negro.  I  mean  to  trust  him.  My  husband 
cares  for  none  of  these  things  now,  and  lets  me  do  as  I 
please. 

Tom  Archer  died  almost  as  soon  as  he  got  to  Richmond. 
Prison  takes  the  life  out  of  men.  He  was  only  half-alive 
when  here.  He  had  a  strange,  pallid  look  and  such  a  vacant 
stare  until  you  roused  him.  Poor  pretty  Sally  Archer: 
that  is  the  end  of  you.1 

1  Under  last  date  entry,  January  17th,  the  author  chronicles  events  of 
later  occurrence;  it  was  her  not  infrequent  custom  to  jot  down  happen 
ings  in  dateless  lines  or  paragraphs.  Mr.  Blair  visited  President  Davis 
January  12th;  Stephens,  Hunter  and  Campbell  were  appointed  Peace 
Commissioners,  January  28th. 


343 


XIX 

9 

LINCOLNTON,    N.    C. 

February  16,  1865— March  15,  1865 

HINCOLNTON,  N.  C.,  February  16,  1865.— A  change 
has  come  o'er  the  spirit  of  my  dream.  Dear  old 
quire  of  yellow,  coarse,  Confederate  home-made  pa 
per,  here  you  are  again.  An  age  of  anxiety  and  suffering 
has  passed  over  my  head  since  last  I  wrote  and  wept  over 
your  forlorn  pages. 

My  ideas  of  those  last  days  are  confused.  The  Martins 
left  Columbia  the  Friday  before  I  did,  and  Mammy,  the 
negro  woman,  who  had  nursed  them,  refused  to  go  with 
them.  That  daunted  me.  Then  Mrs.  McCord,  who  was  to 
send  her  girls  with  me,  changed  her  mind.  She  sent  them 
up-stairs  in  her  house  and  actually  took  away  the  staircase ; 
that  was  her  plan. 

Then  I  met  Mr.  Christopher  Hampton;  arranging  to 
take  off  his  sisters.  They  were  flitting,  but  were  to  go  only 
as  far  as  Yorkville.  He  said  it  was  time  to  move  on.  Sher 
man  was  at  Orangeburg,  barely  a  day's  journey  from  Co 
lumbia,  and  had  left  a  track  as  bare  and  blackened  as  a  fire 
leaves  on  the  prairies. 

So  my  time  had  come,  too.  My  husband  urged  me  to  go 
home.  He  said  Camden  would  be  safe  enough.  They  had 
no  spite  against  that  old  town,  as  they  have  against  Charles 
ton  and  Columbia.  Molly,  weeping  and  wailing,  came  in 
while  we  were  at  table.  Wiping  her  red-hot  face  with  the 
cook's  grimy  apron,  she  said  I  ought  to  go  among  our  own 
black  people  on  the  plantation ;  they  would  take  care  of  me 
better  than  any  one  else.  So  I  agreed  to  go  to  Mulberry  or 

344 


THE   FLIGHT   FROM    COLUMBIA 

the  Hermitage  plantation,  and  sent  Lawrence  down  with  a 
wagon-load  of  niy  valuables. 

Then  a  Miss  Patterson  called — a  refugee  from  Tennes 
see.     She  had  been  in  a  country  overrun  by  Yankee  invad-\ 
ers,  and  she  described  so  graphically  all  the  horrors  to  be* 
endured  by  those  subjected  to  fire  and  sword,  rapine  and 
plunder,  that  I  was  fairly  scared,  and  determined  to  come 
here.    This  is  a  thoroughly  out-of -all-routes  place.    And  yet 
I  can  go  to  Charlotte,  am  half-way  to  Kate  at  Flat  Rock, 
and  there  is  no  Federal  army  between  me  and  Richmond. 

As  soon  as  my  mind  was  finally  made  up,  we  tele 
graphed  to  Lawrence,  who  had  barely  got  to  Camden  in  the 
wagon  when  the  telegram  was  handed  to  him ;  so  he  took  the 
train  and  came  back.  Mr.  Chesnut  sent  him  with  us  to  take 
care  of  the  party. 

We  thought  that  if  the  negroes  were  ever  so  loyal  to  us, 
they  could  not  protect  me  from  an  army  bent  upon  sweep 
ing  us  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  if  they  tried  to  do  so 
so  much  the  worse  would  it  be  for  the  poor  things  with 
their  Yankee  friends.  I  then  left  them  to  shift  for  them 
selves,  as  they  are  accustomed  to  do,  and  I  took  the  same 
liberty.  My  husband  does  not  care  a  fig  for  the  property 
question,  and  never  did.  Perhaps,  if  he  had  ever  known 
poverty,  it  would  be  different.  He  talked  beautifully  about 
it,  as  he  always  does  about  everything.  I  have  told  him 
often  that,  if  at  heaven's  gate  St.  Peter  would  listen  to  him 
a  while,  and  let  him  tell  his  own  story,  he  would  get  in,  and 
the  angels  might  give  him  a  crown  extra. 

Now  he  says  he  has  only  one  care — that  I  should  be 
safe,  and  not  so  harassed  with  dread ;  and  then  there  is  his 
blind  old  father.  ' '  A  man, ' '  said  he,  *  *  can  always  die  like 
a  patriot  and  a  gentleman,  with  no  fuss,  and  take  it  coolly. 
It  is  hard  not  to  envy  those  who  are  out  of  all  this,  their  dif 
ficulties  ended — those  who  have  met  death  gloriously  on  the 
battle-field,  their  doubts  all  solved.  One  can  but  do  his 
best  and  leave  the  result  to  a  higher  power. ' ' 

345 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

After  New  Orleans,  those  vain,  passionate,  impatient  lit 
tle  Creoles  were  forever  committing  suicide,  driven  to  it  by 
despair  and  "  Beast  "  Butler.  As  we  read  these  things, 
Mrs.  Davis  said:  "  If  they  want  to  die,  why  not  first  kill 
1  Beast  '  Butler,  rid  the  world  of  .their  foe  and  be  saved  the 
trouble  of  murdering  themselves?  '  That  practical  way 
of  removing  their  intolerable  burden  did  not  occur  to  them. 
I  repeated  this  suggestive  anecdote  to  our  corps  of  generals 
without  troops,  here  in  this  house,  as  they  spread  out  their 
maps  on  my  table  where  lay  this  quire  of  paper  from  which 
I  write.  Every  man  Jack  of  them  had  a  safe  plan  to  stop 
Sherman,  if— 

Even  Beauregard  and  Lee  were  expected,  but  Grant  had 
double-teamed  on  Lee.  Lee  could  not  save  his  own — how 
could  he  come  to  save  us  ?  Read  the  list  of  the  dead  in  those 
last  battles  around  Richmond  and  Petersburg  l  if  you  want 
to  break  your  heart. 

I  took  French  leave  of  Columbia — slipped  away  with 
out  a  word  to  anybody.  Isaac  Hayne  and  Mr.  Chesnut 
came  down  to  the  Charlotte  depot  with  me.  Ellen,  my 
maid,  left  her  husband  and  only  child,  but  she  was  willing 
to  come,  and,  indeed,  was  very  cheerful  in  her  way  of  look 
ing  at  it. 

"  I  wan'  travel  'roun'  wid  Missis  some  time — stid  uh 
Molly  goin '  all  de  time. ' ' 

A  woman,  fifty  years  old  at  least,  and  uglier  than  she 
was  old,  sharply  rebuked  my  husband  for  standing  at  the 
car  window  for  a  last  few  words  with  me.  She  said  rudely : 
* '  Stand  aside,  sir !  I  want  air !  ' '  With  his  hat  off,  and  his 
grand  air,  my  husband  bowed  politely,  and  said:  "  In  one 
moment,  madam ;  I  have  something  important  to  say  to  my 
wife." 

She  talked  aloud  and  introduced  herself  to  every  man, 

1  Battles  at  Hatchen's  Run,  in  Virginia,  had  been  fought  on  February 
5,  6,  and  7,  1865. 

346 


AN    EXILE 


claiming  his  protection.  She  had  never  traveled  alone  be 
fore  in  all  her  life.  Old  age  and  ugliness  are  protective  in 
some  cases.  She  was  ardently  patriotic  for  a  while.  Then 
she  was  joined  by  her  friend,  a  man  as  crazy  as  herself  to 
get  out  of  this.  From  their  talk  I  gleaned  she  had  been  for 
years  in  the  Treasury  Department.  They  were  about  to 
cross  the  lines.  The  whole  idea  was  to  get  away  from  the 
trouble  to  come  down  here.  They  were  Yankees,  but  were 
they  not  spies? 

Here  I  am  broken-hearted  and  an  exile.  And  in  such  a 
place!  We  have  bare  floors,  and  for  a  feather-bed,  pine 
table,  and  two  chairs  I  pay  $30  a  day.  Such  sheets !  But 
fortunately  I  have  some  of  my  own.  At  the  door,  before  I 
was  well  out  of  the  hack,  the  woman  of  the  house  packed 
Lawrence  back,  neck  and  heels :  she  would  not  have  him  at 
any  price.  She  treated  him  as  Mr.  F.  's  aunt  did  Clenman 
in  Little  Dorrit.  She  said  his  clothes  were  too  fine  for  a 
nigger.  "  His  airs,  indeed."  Poor  Lawrence  was  humble 
and  silent.  He  said  at  last,  "  Miss  Mary,  send  me  back  to 
Mars  Jeems."  I  began  to  look  for  a  pencil  to  write  a  note 
to  my  husband,  but  in  the  flurry  could  not  find  one.  '  *  Here 
is  one,"  said  Lawrence,  producing  one  with  a  gold  case. 
11  Go  away,"  she  shouted,  "  I  want  no  niggers  here  with 
gold  pencils  and  airs. ' '  So  Lawrence  fled  before  the  storm, 
but  not  before  he  had  begged  me  to  go  back.  He  said,  * '  if 
Mars  Jeems  knew  how  you  was  treated  he'd  never  be  will 
ing  for  you  to  stay  here. ' ' 

The  Martins  had  seen  my,  to  them,  well-known  traveling 
case  as  the  hack  trotted  up  Main  Street,  and  they  arrived  at 
this  juncture  out  of  breath.  We  embraced  and  wept.  I 
kept  my  room. 

The  Fants  are  refugees  here,  too;  they  are  Virginians, 
and  have  been  in  exile  since  the  second  battle  of  Manassas. 
Poor  things ;  they  seem  to  have  been  everywhere,  and  seen 
and  suffered  everything.  They  even  tried  to  go  back  to 
their  own  house,  but  found  one  chimney  only  standing 
24  347 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

alone ;  even  that  had  been  taken  possession  of  by  a  Yankee, 
who  had  written  his  name  upon  it. 

The  day  I  left  home  I  had  packed  a  box  of  flour,  sugar, 
rice,  and  coffee,  but  my  husband  would  not  let  me  bring  it. 
He  said  I  was  coming  to  a  lahd  of  plenty — unexplored 
North  Carolina,  where  the  foot  of  the  Yankee  marauder  was 
unknown,  and  in  Columbia  they  would  need  food.  Now  I 
have  written  for  that  box  and  many  other  things  to  be  sent 
me  by  Lawrence,  or  I  shall  starve. 

The  Middletons  have  come.  How  joyously  I  sprang  to 
my  feet  to  greet  them.  Mrs.  Ben  Rutledge  described  the 
hubbub  in  Columbia.  Everybody  was  flying  in  every  di 
rection  like  a  flock  of  swallows.  She  heard  the  enemy's 
guns  booming  in  the  distance.  The  train  no  longer  runs 
from  Charlotte  to  Columbia.  Miss  Middleton  possesses  her 
soul  in  peace.  She  is  as  cool,  clever,  rational,  and  enter 
taining  as  ever,  and  we  talked  for  hours.  Mrs.  Reed  was  in 
a  state  of  despair.  I  can  well  understand  that  sinking  of 
mind  and  body  during  the  first  days  as  the  abject  misery  of 
it  all  closes  in  upon  you.  I  remember  my  suicidal  tenden 
cies  when  I  first  came  here. 

February  18th. — Here  I  am,  thank  God,  settled  at  the 
McLean's,  in  a  clean,  comfortable  room,  airy  and  cozy. 
With  a  grateful  heart  I  stir  up  my  own  bright  wood  fire. 
My  bill  for  four  days  at  this  splendid  hotel  here  was  $240, 
with  $25  additional  for  fire.  But  once  more  my  lines  have 
fallen  in  pleasant  places. 

As  we  came  up  on  the  train  from  Charlotte  a  soldier  took 
out  of  his  pocket  a  filthy  rag.  If  it  had  lain  in  the  gutter 
for  months  it  could  not  have  looked  worse.  He  unwrapped 
the  thing  carefully  and  took  out  two  biscuits  of  the  species 
known  as  ' '  hard  tack. ' '  Then  he  gallantly  handed  me  one, 
and  with  an  ingratiating  smile  asked  me  "to  take  some." 
Then  he  explained,  saying,  "  Please  take  these  two;  swap 
with  me ;  give  me  something  softer  that  I  can  eat ;  I  am  very 
weak  still."  Immediately,  for  his  benefit,  my  basket  of 

348 


TAKEN   FOR    MILLIONAIRES 


luncheon  was  emptied,  but  as  for  his  biscuit,  I  would  not 
choose  any.  Isabella  asked,  '  *  But  what  did  you  say  to  him 
when  he  poked  them  under  your  nose  ?  ' '  and  I  replied,  * '  I 
held  up  both  hands,  saying,  *  I  would  not  take  from  you 
anything  that  is  yours — far  from  it !  I  would  not  touch 
them  for  worlds.'  : 

A  tremendous  day 's  work  and  I  helped  with  a  will ;  our 
window  glass  was  all  to  be  washed.  Then  the  brass  andi 
rons  were  to  be  polished.  After  we  rubbed  them  bright  how 
pretty  they  were. 

Presently  Ellen  would  have  none  of  me.  She  was  scrub 
bing  the  floor.  "  You  go — dat's  a  good  missis — an'  stay  to 
Miss  Isabella 's  till  de  flo '  dry. ' '  I  am  very  docile  now,  and 
I  obeyed  orders. 

February  19th. — The  Fants  say  all  the  trouble  at  the 
hotel  came  from  our  servants '  bragging.  They  represented 
us  as  millionaires,  and  the  Middleton  men  servants  smoked 
cigars.  Mrs.  Reed's  averred  that  he  had  never  done  any 
thing  in  his  life  but  stand  behind  his  master  at  table  with 
a  silver  waiter  in  his  hand.  We  were  charged  accordingly, 
but  perhaps  the  landlady  did  not  get  the  best  of  us  after  all, 
for  we  paid  her  in  Confederate  money.  Now  that  they 
won't  take  Confederate  money  in  the  shops  here  how  are 
we  to  live?  Miss  Middleton  says  quartermasters'  families 
are  all  clad  in  good  gray  cloth,  but  the  soldiers  go  naked. 
Well,  we  are  like  the  families  of  whom  the  novels  alwaj^s  say 
they  are  poor  but  honest.  Poor?  Well-nigh  beggars  are 
we,  for  I  do  not  know  where  my  next  meal  is  to  come  from. 

Called  on  Mrs.  Ben  Rutledge  to-day.  She  is  lovely,  ex 
quisitely  refined.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Middleton,  came  in. 
* '  You  are  not  looking  well,  dear  ?  Anything  the  matter  ?  ' ' 
''  No — but,  mamma,  I  have  not  eaten  a  mouthful  to-day. 
The  children  can  eat  mush;  I  can't.  I  drank  my  tea,  how 
ever.  ' '  She  does  not  understand  taking  favors,  and,  blush 
ing  violently,  refused  to  let  me  have  Ellen  make  her  some 
biscuit.  I  went  home  and  sent  her  some  biscuit  all  the  same. 

349 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

February  22d. — Isabella  has  been  reading  my  diaries. 
How  we  laugh  because  my  sage  divinations  all  come  to 
naught.  My  famous  "  insight  into  character  "  is  utter  fol 
ly.  The  diaries  were  lying  on  the  hearth  ready  to  be 
burned,  but  she  told  me  to  hold  7m  to  them ;  think  of  them 
a  while  and  don't  be  rash.  Afterward  when  Isabella  and  I 
were  taking  a  walk,  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  joined  us. 
He  explained  to  us  all  of  Lee's  and  Stonewall  Jackson's 
mistakes.  We  had  nothing  to  say — how  could  we  say  any 
thing?  He  said  he  was  very  angry  when  he  was  ordered  to 
take  command  again.  He  might  well  have  been  in  a  gen 
uine  rage.  This  on  and  off  procedure  would  be  enough  to 
bewilder  the  coolest  head.  Mrs.  Johnston  knows  how  to  be 
a  partizan  of  Joe  Johnston  and  still  not  make  his  enemies 
uncomfortable.  She  can  be  pleasant  and  agreeable,  as  she 
was  to  my  face. 

A  letter  from  my  husband  who  is  at  Charlotte.  He  came 
near  being  taken  a  prisoner  in  Columbia,  for  he  was  asleep 
the  morning  of  the  17th,  when  the  Yankees  blew  up  the  rail 
road  depot.  That  woke  him,  of  course,  and  he  found  every 
body  had  left  Columbia,  and  the  town  was  surrendered  by 
the  mayor,  Colonel  Goodwyn.  Hampton  and  his  command 
had  been  gone  several  hours.  Isaac  Hayne  came  away  with 
General  Chesnut.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  town  when  they 
left.  They  overtook  Hampton's  command  at  Meek's  Mill. 
That  night,  from  the  hills  where  they  encamped,  they  saw 
the  fire,  and  knew  the  Yankees  were  burning  the  town,  as 
we  had  every  reason  to  expect  they  would.  Molly  was  left 
in  charge  of  everything  of  mine,  including  Mrs.  Preston's 
cow,  which  I  was  keeping,  and  Sally  Goodwyn 's  furniture. 

Charleston  and  Wilmington  have  surrendered.  I  have 
no  further  use  for  a  newspaper.  I  never  want  to  see  an 
other  one  as  long  as  I  live.  Wade  Hampton  has  been  made 
a  lieutenant-general,  too  late.  If  he  had  been  made  one  and 
given  command  in  South  Carolina  six  months  ago  I  believe 
he  would  have  saved  us.  Shame,  disgrace,  beggary,  all 

350 


THE    BURNING    OF    COLUMBIA 

have  come  at  once,  and  are  hard  to  bear — the  grand  smash ! 
Rain,  rain,  outside,  and  naught  but  drowning  floods  of  tears 
inside.  I  could  not  bear  it ;  so  I  rushed  down  in  that  rain 
storm  to  the  Martins'.  Rev.  Mr.  Martin  met  me  at  the 
door.  "  Madam,"  said  he,  "  Columbia  is  burned  to  the 
ground."  I  bowed  my  head  and  sobbed  aloud.  "  Stop 
that !  "  he  said,  trying  to  speak  cheerfully.  ' '  Come  here, 
wife,"  said  he  to  Mrs.  Martin.  "  This  woman  cries  with 
her  whole  heart,  just  as  she  laughs."  But  in  spite  of  his 
words,  his  voice  broke  down,  and  he  was  hardly  calmer  than 
myself. 

February  23d. — I  want  to  get  to  Kate,  I  am  so  utterly 
heart-broken.  I  hope  John  Chesnut  and  General  Chesnut 
may  at  least  get  into  the  same  army.  We  seem  scattered 
over  the  face  of  the  earth.  Isabella  sits  there  calmly  read 
ing.  I  have  quieted  down  after  the  day's  rampage.  May 
our  heavenly  Father  look  down  on  us  and  have  pity. 

They  say  I  was  the  last  refugee  from  Columbia  who  was 
allowed  to  enter  by  the  door  of  the  cars.  The  government 
took  possession  then  and  women  could  only  be  smuggled  in 
by  the  windows.  Stout  ones  stuck  and  had  to  be  pushed, 
pulled,  and  hauled  in  by  main  force.  Dear  Mrs.  Izard, 
with  all  her  dignity,  was  subjected  to  this  rough  treatment. 
She  was  found  almost  too  much  for  the  size  of  the  car  win 
dows. 

February  25th. — The  Pfeifers,  who  live  opposite  us  here, 
are  descendants  of  those  Pfeifers  wrho  came  South  with  Mr. 
Chesnut 's  ancestors  after  the  Fort  Duquesne  disaster.  They 
have  now,  therefore,  been  driven  out  of  their  Eden,  the 
valley  of  Virginia,  a  second  time.  The  present  Pfeifer  is 
the  great  man,  the  rich  man  par  excellence  of  Lincolnton. 
They  say  that  with  something  very  near  to  tears  in  his  eyes 
he  heard  of  our  latest  defeats.  "It  is  only  a  question  of 
time  with  us  now,"  he  said.  "  The  raiders  will  come,  you 
know. ' ' 

In  Washington,  before  I  knew  any  of  them,  except  by 

351 


Feb.  16,  1863  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

sight,  Mrs.  Davis,  Mrs.  Emory,  and  Mrs.  Johnston  were  al 
ways  together,  inseparable  friends,  and  the  trio  were  point 
ed  out  to  me  as  the  cleverest  women  in  the  United  States. 
Now  that  I  do  know  them  all  well,  I  think  the  world  was 
right  in  its  estimate  of  them.  * 

Met  a  Mr.  Ancrum  of  serenely  cheerful  aspect,  happy 
and  hopeful.  "  All  right  now,"  said  he.  "  Sherman  sure 
to  be  thrashed.  Joe  Johnston  is  in  command. ' '  Dr.  Darby 
says,  when  the  oft-mentioned  Joseph,  the  malcontent,  gave 
up  his  command  to  Hood,  he  remarked  with  a  smile,  "  I 
hope  you  will  be  able  to  stop  Sherman ;  it  was  more  than  I 
could  do."  General  Johnston  is  not  of  Mr.  Ancrum 's  way 
of  thinking  as  to  his  own  powers,  for  he  stayed  here  several 
days  after  he  was  ordered  to  the  front. ,  He  must  have 
known  he  could  do  no  good,  and  I  am  of  his  opinion. 

When  the  wagon,  in  which  I  was  to  travel  to  Flat  Rock, 
drove  up  to  the  door,  covered  with  a  tent-like  white  cloth, 
in  my  embarrassment  for  an  opening  in  the  conversation  I 
asked  the  driver's  name.  He  showed  great  hesitation  in 
giving  it,  but  at  last  said :  * '  My  name  is  Sherman, ' '  adding, 
'  *  and  now  I  see  by  your  face  that  you  won 't  go  with  me. 
My  name  is  against  me  these  times. ' '  Here  he  grinned  and 
remarked :  '  *  But  you  would  leave  Lincolnton. ' ' 

That  name  was  the  last  drop  in  my  cup,  but  I  gave  him 
Mrs.  Glover's  reason  for  staying  here.  General  Johnston 
had  told  her  this  ' '  might  be  the  safest  place  after  all. ' '  He 
thinks  the  Yankees  are  making  straight  for  Richmond  and 
General  Lee's  rear,  and  will  go  by  Camden  and  Lancaster, 
leaving  Lincolnton  on  their  west  flank. 

The  McLeans  are  kind  people.  They  ask  no  rent  for 
their  rooms — only  $20  a  week  for  firewood.  Twenty  dollars ! 
and  such  dollars — mere  waste  paper. 

Mrs.  Munroe  took  up  my  photograph  book,  in  which  I 
have  a  picture  of  all  the  Yankee  generals.  ' '  I  want  to  see 
the  men  who  are  to  be  our  masters,"  said  she.  '  Not 
mine  "  I  answered,  "  thank  God,  come  what  may.  This 

352 


RUIN    IN    SHERMAN'S    PATH 


was  a  free  fight.  We  had  as  much  right  to  fight  to  get  out 
as  they  had  to  fight  to  keep  us  in.  If  they  try  to  play  the 
masters,  anywhere  upon  the  habitable  globe  will  I  go, 
never  to  see  a  Yankee,  and  if  I  die  on  the  way  so  much  the 
better. ' '  Then  I  sat  down  and  wrote  to  my  husband  in  lan 
guage  much  worse  than  anything  I  can  put  in  this  book. 
As  I  wrote  I  was  blinded  by  tears  of  rage.  Indeed,  I  nearly 
wept  myself  away. 

February  26th. — Mrs.  Munroe  offered  me  religious 
books,  which  I  declined,  being  already  provided  with  the 
Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,  the  Psalms  of  David,  the  denun 
ciations  of  Hosea,  and,  above  all,  the  patient  wail  of  Job. 
Job  is  my  comforter  now.  I  should  be  so  thankful  to  know 
life  never  would  be  any  worse  with  me.  My  husband  is 
well,  and  has  been  ordered  to  join  the  great  Retreater.  I 
am  bodily  comfortable,  if  somewhat  dingily  lodged,  and  I 
daily  part  with  my  raiment  for  food.  We  find  no  one  who 
will  exchange  eatables  for  Confederate  money;  so  we  are 
devouring  our  clothes. 

Opportunities  for  social  enjoyment  are  not  wanting. 
Miss  Middleton  and  Isabella  often  drink  a  cup  of  tea  with 
me.  One  might  search  the  whole  world  and  not  find  two 
cleverer  or  more  agreeable  women.  Miss  Middleton  is  brill 
iant  and  accomplished.  She  must  have  been  a  hard  student 
all  her  life.  She  knows  everybody  worth  knowing,  and  she 
has  been  everywhere.  Then  she  is  so  high-bred,  high-heart 
ed,  pure,  and  true.  She  is  so  clean-minded ;  she  could  not 
harbor  a  wrong  thought.  She  is  utterly  unselfish,  a  devoted 
daughter  and  sister.  She  is  one  among  the  many  large- 
brained  women  a  kind  Providence  has  thrown  in  my  way, 
such  as  Mrs.  McCord,  daughter  of  Judge  Cheves;  Mary 
Preston  Darby,  Mrs.  Emory,  granddaughter  of  old  Frank 
lin,  the  American  wise  man,  and  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis.  How 
I  love  to  praise  my  friends ! 

As  a  ray  of  artificial  sunshine,  Mrs.  Munroe  sent  me  an 
Examiner.  Daniel  thinks  we  are  at  the  last  gasp,  and  now 

353 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,   N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

England  and  France  are  bound  to  step  in.  England  must 
know  if  the  United  States  of  America  are  triumphant  they 
will  tackle  her  next,  and  France  must  wonder  if  she  will 
not  have  to  give  up  Mexico.  My  faith  fails  me.  It  is  all  too 
late ;  no  help  for  us  now  from  God*  or  man. 

Thomas,  Daniel  says,  was  now  to  ravage  Georgia,  but 
Sherman,  from  all  accounts,  has  done  that  work  once  for  all. 
There  will  be  no  aftermath.  They  say  no  living  thing  is 
found  in  Sherman's  track,  only  chimneys,  like  telegraph 
poles,  to  carry  the  news  of  Sherman's  army  backward. 

In  all  that  tropical  down-pour,  Mrs.  Munroe  sent  me 
overshoes  and  an  umbrella,  with  the  message,  ''Come  over." 
I  went,  for  it  would  be  as  well  to  drown  in  the  streets  as  to 
hang  myself  at  home  to  my  own  bedpost.  At  Mrs.  Munroe 's 
I  met  a  Miss  McDaniel.  Her  father,  for  seven  years,  was 
the  Methodist  preacher  at  our  negro  church.  The  negro 
church  is  in  a  grove  just  opposite  Mulberry  house.  She 
says  her  father  has  so  often  described  that  fine  old  estab 
lishment  and  its  beautiful  lawn,  live-oaks,  etc.  Now,  I 
dare  say  there  stand  at  Mulberry  only  Sherman's  sentinels 
— stacks  of  chimneys.  We  have  made  up  our  minds  for  the 
worst.  Mulberry  house  is  no  doubt  razed  to  the  ground. 

Miss  McDaniel  was  inclined  to  praise  us.  She  said: 
"  As  a  general  rule  the  Episcopal  minister  went  to  the 
family  mansion,  and  the  Methodist  missionary  preached  to 
the  negroes  and  dined  with  the  overseer  at  his  house,  but  at 
Mulberry  her  father  always  stayed  at  the  '  House,'  and 
the  family  were  so  kind  and  attentive  to  him."  It  was 
rather  pleasant  to  hear  one's  family  so  spoken  of  among 
strangers. 

So,  well  equipped  to  brave  the  weather,  armed  cap-a-pie, 
so  to  speak,  I  continued  my  prowl  farther  afield  and 
brought  up  at  the  Middletons '.  I  may  have  surprised  them, 
for  ' '  at  such  an  inclement  season  ' '  they  hardly  expected  a 
visitor.  Never,  however,  did  lonely  old  woman  receive  such 
a  warm  and  hearty  welcome.  Now  we  know  the  worst.  Are 

354 


JOE    JOHNSTON    A    LAST    HOPE 

we  growing  hardened  ?  We  avoid  all  allusion  to  Columbia ; 
we  never  speak  of  home,  and  we  begin  to  deride  the  certain 
poverty  that  lies  ahead. 

How  it  pours !  Could  I  live  many  days  in  solitary  con 
finement?  Things  are  beginning  to  be  unbearable,  but  I 
must  sit  down  and  be  satisfied.  My  husband  is  safe  so  far. 
Let  me  be  thankful  it  is  no  worse  with  me.  But  there  is  the 
gnawing  pain  all  the  same.  What  is  the  good  of  being  here 
at  alH  Our  world  has  simply  gone  to  destruction.  And 
across  the  way  the  fair  Lydia  languishes.  She  has  not  even 
my  resources  against  ennui.  She  has  no  Isabella,  no  Miss 
Middleton,  two  as  brilliant  women  as  any  in  Christendom. 
Oh,  how  does  she  stand  it !  I  mean  to  go  to  church  if  it 
rains  cats  and  dogs.  My  feet  are  wet  two  or  three  times  a 
day.  We  never  take  cold ;  our  hearts  are  too  hot  within  us 
for  that. 

A  carriage  was  driven  up  to  the  door  as  I  was  writing. 
I  began  to  tie  on  my  bonnet,  and  said  to  myself  in  the  glass, 
' '  Oh,  you  lucky  woman !  ' '  I  was  all  in  a  tremble,  so  great 
was  my  haste  to  be  out  of  this.  Mrs.  Glover  had  the  car 
riage.  She  came  for  me  to  go  and  hear  Mr.  Martin  preach. 
He  lifts  our  spirits  from  this  dull  earth ;  he  takes  us  up  to 
heaven.  That  I  will  not  deny.  Still  he  can  not  hold  my  at 
tention;  my  heart  wanders  and  my  mind  strays  back  to 
South  Carolina.  Oh,  vandal  Sherman !  what  are  you  at 
there,  hard-hearted  wretch  that  you  are !  A  letter  from  Gen 
eral  Chesnut,  who  writes  from  camp  near  Charlotte  under 
date  of  February  28th : 

1  c  I  thank  you  a  thousand,  thousand  times  for  your  kind 
letters.  They  are  now  my  only  earthly  comfort,  except  the 
hope  that  all  is  not  yet  lost.  We  have  been  driven  like  a 
wild  herd  from  our  country.  And  it  is  not  from  a  want  of 
spirit  in  the  people  or  soldiers,  nor  from  want  of  energy 
and  competency  in  our  commanders.  The  restoration  of 
Joe  'Johnston,  it  is  hoped,  will  redound  to  the  advantage 
of  our  cause  and  the  reestablishment  of  our  fortunes!  I 

355 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

am  still  in  not  very  agreeable  circumstances.  For  the  last 
four  days  completely  water-bound. 

"  I  am  informed  that  a  detachment  of  Yankees  were 
sent  from  Liberty  Hill  to  Camden  with  a  view  to  destroying 
all  the  houses,  mills,  and  provisions  about  that  place.  No 
particulars  have  reached  me.  You  know  I  expected  the 
worst  that  could  be  done,  and  am  fully  prepared  for  any  re 
port  which  may  be  made. 

"  It  would  be  a  happiness  beyond  expression  to  see  you 
even  for  an  hour.  I  have  heard  nothing  from  my  poor  old 
father.  I  fear  I  shall  never  see  him  again.  Such  is  the  fate 
of  war.  I  do  not  complain.  I  have  deliberately  chosen  my 
lot,  and  am  prepared  for  any  fate  that  awaits  me.  My  care 
is  for  you,  and  I  trust  still  in  the  good  cause  of  my  coun 
try  and  the  justice  and  mercy  of  God. ' ' 

It  was  a  lively,  rushing,  young  set  that  South  Carolina 
put  to  the  fore.  They  knew  it  was  a  time  of  imminent  dan 
ger,  and  that  the  fight  would  be  ten  to  one.  They  expected 
to  win  by  activity,  energy,  and  enthusiasm.  Then  came  the 
wet  blanket,  the  croakers ;  now,  these  are  posing,  wrapping 
Caesar's  mantle  about  their  heads  to  fall  with  dignity. 
Those  gallant  youths  who  dashed  so  gaily  to  the  front  lie 
mostly  in  bloody  graves.  Well  for  them,  maybe.  There 
are  worse  things  than  honorable  graves.  Wearisome 
thoughts.  Late  in  life  we  are  to  begin  anew  and  have  la 
borious,  difficult  days  ahead. 

We  have  contradictory  testimony.  Governor  Aiken  has 
passed  through,  saying  Sherman  left  Columbia  as  he  found 
it,  and  was  last  heard  from  at  Cheraw.  Dr.  Chisolm  walked 
home  with  me.  He  says  that  is  the  last  version  of  the  story. 
Now  my  husband  wrote  that  he  himself  saw  the  fires  which 
burned  up  Columbia,  The  first  night  his  camp  was  near 
enough  to  the  town  for  that. 

They  say  Sherman  has  burned  Lancaster — that  Sher 
man  nightmare,  that  ghoul,  that  hyena !  But  I  do  not  be 
lieve  it.  He  takes  his  time.  There  are  none  to  molest  him. 

356 


STILL    OF    SHERMAN'S    MARCH 

He  does  things  leisurely  and  deliberately.  Why  stop  to  do 
so  needless  a  thing  as  burn  Lancaster  court-house,  the 
jail,  and  the  tavern?  As  I  remember  it,  that  descrip 
tion  covers  Lancaster.  A  raiding  party  they  say  did  for 
Camden. 

No  train  from  Charlotte  yesterday.  Rumor  says  Sher 
man  is  in  Charlotte. 

February  29th. — Trying  to  brave  it  out.  They  have 
plenty,  yet  let  our  men  freeze  and  starve  in  their  prisons. 
Would  you  be  willing  to  be  as  wicked  as  they  are?  A 
thousand  times,  no !  But  we  must  feed  our  army  first — if 
we  can  do  so  much  as  that.  Our  captives  need  not  starve 
if  Lincoln  would  consent  to  exchange  prisoners;  but  men 
are  nothing  to  the  United  States — things  to  throw  away. 
If  they  send  our  men  back  they  strengthen  our  army,  and 
so  again  their  policy  is  to  keep  everybody  and  everything 
here  in  order  to  help  starve  us  out.  That,  too,  is  what  Sher 
man  's  destruction  means — to  starve  us  out. 

Young  Brevard  asked  me  to  play  accompaniments  for 
him.  The  guitar  is  my  instrument,  or  was;  so  I  sang  and 
played,  to  my  own  great  delight.  It  was  a  distraction. 
Then  I  made  egg-nog  for  the  soldier  boys  below  and  came 
home.  Have  spent  a  very  pleasant  evening.  Begone,  dull 
care;  you  and  I  never  agree. 

Ellen  and  I  are  shut  up  here.  It  is  rain,  rain,  everlast 
ing  rain.  As  our  money  is  worthless,  are  we  not  to  starve  ? 
Heavens!  how  grateful  I  was  to-day  when  Mrs.  McLean 
sent  me  a  piece  of  chicken.  I  think  the  emptiness  of  my 
larder  has  leaked  out.  To-day  Mrs.  Munroe  sent  me  hot 
cakes  and  eggs  for  my  breakfast. 

March  5th. — Is  the  sea  drying  up  ?  Is  it  going  up  into 
mist  and  coming  down  on  us  in  a  water-spout?  The  rain, 
it  raineth  every  day.  The  weather  typifies  our  tearful  de 
spair,  on  a  large  scale.  It  is  also  Lent  now — a  quite  con 
venient  custom,  for  we,  in  truth,  have  nothing  to  eat.  So 
we  fast  and  pray,  and  go  dragging  to  church  like  drowned 
rats  to  be  preached  at. 

357 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

My  letter  from  my  husband  was  so — well,  what  in  a 
woman  you  would  call  heart-broken,  that  I  began  to  get 
ready  for  a  run  up  to  Charlotte.  My  hat  was  on  my  head, 
my  traveling-bag  in  my  hand,  and  Ellen  was  saying 
"  Which  umbrella,  ma'am?"  '.'Stop,  Ellen,"  said  I, 
* '  someone  is  speaking  out  there. ' '  A  tap  came  at  the  door, 
and  Miss  McLean  threw  the  door  wide  open  as  she  said  in  a 
triumphant  voice :  * '  Permit  me  to  announce  General  Ches- 
nut."  As  she  went  off  she  sang  out,  "  Oh,  does  not  a 
meeting  like  this  make  amends  ?  ' : 

We  went  after  luncheon  to  see  Mrs.  Munroe.  My  hus 
band  wanted  to  thank  her  for  all  her  kindness  to  me.  I  was 
awfully  proud  of  him.  I  used  to  think  that  everybody  had 
the  air  and  manners  of  a  gentleman.  I  know  now  that  these 
accomplishments  are  things  to  thank  God  for.  Father 
O'Connell  came  in,  fresh  from  Columbia,  and  with  news 
at  last.  Sherman's  men  had  burned  the  convent.  Mrs. 
Munroe  had  pinned  her  faith  to  Sherman  because  he  was  a 
Roman  Catholic,  but  Father  O'Connell'  was  there  and  saw 
it.  The  nuns  and  girls  marched  to  the  old  Hampton  house 
(Mrs.  Preston's  now),  and  so  saved  it.  They  walked  be 
tween  files  of  soldiers.  Men  were  rolling  tar  barrels  and 
lighting  torches  to  fling  on  the  house  when  the  nuns  came. 
Columbia  is  but  dust  and  ashes,  burned  to  the  ground. 
Men,  women,  and  children  have  been  left  there  homeless, 
houseless,  and  without  one  particle  of  food — reduced  to 
picking  up  corn  that  was  left  by  Sherman 's  horses  on  picket 
grounds  and  parching  it  to  stay  their  hunger. 

How  kind  my  friends  were  on  this,  my  fete  day !  Mrs. 
Rutledge  sent  me  a  plate  of  biscuit ;  Mrs.  Munroe,  nearly 
enough  food  supplies  for  an  entire  dinner ;  Miss  McLean  a 
cake  for  dessert.  Ellen  cooked  and  served  up  the  mate 
rial  happily  at  hand  very  nicely,  indeed.  There  never  was 
a  more  successful  dinner.  My  heart  was  too  full  to  eat,  but 
I  was  quiet  and  calm ;  at  least  I  spared  my  husband  the  trial 
of  a  broken  voice  and  tears.  As  he  stood  at  the  window, 

358 


A    TALE    OF    HORROR 


with  his  back  to  the  room,  he  said :  ' '  Where  are  they  now — 
iny  old  blind  father  and  my  sister  ?  Day  and  night  I  see 
her  leading  him  out  from  under  his  own  rooftree.  That 
picture  pursues  me  persistently.  But  come,  let  us  talk  of 
pleasanter  things."  To  which  I  answered,  "  Where  will 
you  find  them?  " 

He  took  off  his  heavy  cavalry  boots  and  Ellen  carried 
them  away  to  wash  the  mud  off  and  dry  them.  She  brought 
them  back  just  as  Miss  Middleton  walked  in.  In  his  agony, 
while  struggling  with  those  huge  boots  and  trying  to  get 
them  on,  he  spoke  to  her  volubly  in  French.  She  turned 
away  from  him  instantly,  as  she  saw  his  shoeless  plight,  and 
said  to  me,  '  *  I  had  not  heard  of  your  happiness.  I  did  not 
know  the  General  was  here."  Not  until  next  day  did  we 
have  time  to  remember  and  laugh  at  that  outbreak  of 
French.  Miss  Middleton  answered  him  in  the  same  lan 
guage.  He  told  her  how  charmed  he  was  with  my  surround 
ings,  and  that  he  would  go  away  with  a  much  lighter  heart 
since  he  had  seen  the  kind  people  with  whom  he  would  leave 
me. 

I  asked  my  husband  what  that  correspondence  between 
Sherman  and  Hampton  meant — this  while  I  was  preparing 
something  for  our  dinner.  His  back  was  still  turned  as  he 
gazed  out  of  the  window.  He  spoke  in  the  low  and  steady 
monotone  that  characterized  our  conversation  the  whole 
day,  and  yet  there  was  something  in  his  voice  that  thrilled 
me  as  he  said :  ' '  The  second  day  after  our  march  from  Co 
lumbia  we  passed  the  M.  's.  He  was  a  bonded  man  and  not 
at  home.  His  wife  said  at  first  that  she  could  not  find  for 
age  for  our  horses,  but  afterward  she  succeeded  in  procur 
ing  some.  I  noticed  a  very  handsome  girl  who  stood  beside 
her  as  she  spoke,  and  I  suggested  to  her  mother  the  pro 
priety  of  sending  her  out  of  the  track  of  both  armies. 
Things  were  no  longer  as  heretofore;  there  was  so  much 
straggling,  so  many  camp  followers,  with  no  discipline,  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  army.  The  girl  answered  quickly,  '  I 

359 


Feb.  16,  186.5  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

wish  to  stay  with  my  mother. '  That  very  night  a  party  of 
Wheeler's  men  came  to  our  camp,  and  such  a  tale  they  told 
of  what  had  been  done  at  the  place  of  horror  and  destruc 
tion,  the  mother  left  raving.  The  outrage  had  been  com 
mitted  before  her  very  face,  she  naving  been  secured  first. 
After  this  crime  the  fiends  moved  on.  There  were  only 
seven  of  them.  They  had  been  gone  but  a  short  time  when 
Wheeler's  men  went  in  pursuit  at  full  speed  and  overtook 
them,  cut  their  throats  and  wrote  upon  their  breasts: 
'  These  were  the  seven!  ' 

"But  the  girl?  " 

11  Oh,  she  was  dead!  " 

"  Are  his  critics  as  violent  as  ever  against  the  Presi 
dent?  "  asked  I  when  recovered  from  pity  and  horror. 
"  Sometimes  I  think  I  am  the  only  friend  he  has  in  the 
world.  At  these  dinners,  which  they  give  us  everywhere, 
I  spoil  the  sport,  for  I  will  not  sit  still  and  hear  Jeff  Davis 
abused  for  things  he  is  no  more  responsible  for  than  any 
man  at  that  table.  Once  I  lost  my  temper  and  told  them  it 
sounded  like  arrant  nonsense  to  me,  and  that  Jeff  Davis 
was  a  gentleman  and  a  patriot,  with  more  brains  than  the 
assembled  company."  "  You  lost  your  temper  truly," 
said  I.  ' '  And  I  did  not  know  it.  I  thought  I  was  as  cool 
as  I  am  now.  In  Washington  when  we  left,  Jeff  Davis 
ranked  second  to  none,  in  intellect,  and  may  be  first,  from 
the  South,  and  Mrs.  Davis  was  the  friend  of  Mrs.  Emory, 
Mrs.  Joe  Johnston,  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  Blair,  and  others 
of  that  circle.  Now  they  rave  that  he  is  nobody,  and  never 
was."  "  And  she?  "  I  asked.  "  Oh,  you  would  think  to 
hear  them  that  he  found  her  yesterday  in  a  Mississippi 
swamp!  "  "  Well,  in  the  French  Revolution  it  was  worse. 
When  a  man  failed  he  was  guillotined.  Mirabeau  did  not 
die  a  day  too  soon,  even  Mirabeau." 

He  is  gone.  With  despair  in  my  heart  I  left  that  rail 
road  station.  Allan  Green  walked  home  with  me.  I  met  his 
wife  and  his  four  ragged  little  boys  a  day  or  so  ago.  She 

360 


RUMORS    FROM    COLUMBIA 


is  the  neatest,  the  primmest,  the  softest  of  women.  Her 
voice  is  like  the  gentle  cooing  of  a  dove.  That  lowering 
black  future  hangs  there  all  the  same.  The  end  of  the  war 
brings  no  hope  of  peace  or  of  security  to  us.  Ellen  said  I 
had  a  little  piece  of  bread  and  a  little  molasses  in  store  for 
my  dinner  to-day. 

March  6th. — To-day  came  a  godsend.  Even  a  small 
piece  of  bread  and  the  molasses  had  become  things  of  the 
past.  My  larder  was  empty,  when  a  tall  mulatto  woman 
brought  a  tray  covered  by  a  huge  white  serviette.  Ellen 
ushered  her  in  with  a  flourish,  saying,  "  Mrs.  McDaniers 
maid. ' '  The  maid  set  down  the  tray  upon  my  bare  table, 
and  uncovered  it  with  conscious  pride.  There  were  fowls 
ready  for  roasting,  sausages,  butter,  bread,  eggs,  and  pre 
serves.  I  was  dumb  with  delight.  After  silent  thanks  to 
heaven  my  powers  of  speech  returned,  and  I  exhausted  my 
self  in  messages  of  gratitude  to  Mrs.  McDaniel. 

"  Missis,  you  oughtn't  to  let  her  see  how  glad  you  was," 
said  Ellen.  "  It  was  a  lettin'  of  yo'sef  down." 

Mrs.  Glover  gave  me  some  yarn,  and  I  bought  five  dozen 
eggs  with  it  from  a  wagon — eggs  for  Lent.  To  show  that  I 
have  faith  yet  in  humanity,  I  paid  in  advance  in  yarn  for 
something  to  eat,  which  they  promised  to  bring  to-morrow. 
Had  they  rated  their  eggs  at  $100  a  dozen  in  "  Confed- 
erick  ' '  money,  I  would  have  paid  it  as  readily  as  $10.  But 
I  haggle  in  yarn  for  the  millionth  part  of  a  thread. 

Two  weeks  have  passed  and  the  rumors  from  Columbia 
are  still  of  the  vaguest.  No  letter  has  come  from  there,  no 
direct  message,  or  messenger.  "  My  God!  "  cried  Dr. 
Frank  Miles,  "  but  it  is  strange.  Can  it  be  anything  so 
dreadful  they  dare  not  tell  us?  ''  Dr.  St.  Julien  Ravenel 
has  grown  pale  and  haggard  with  care.  His  wife  and  chil 
dren  were  left  there. 

Dr.  Brumby  has  at  last  been  coaxed  into  selling  me  ' 
enough  leather  for  the  making  of  a  pair  of  shoes,  else  I 
should  have  had  to  give  up  walking.     He  knew  my  father 

361 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

well.  He  intimated  that  in  some  way  my  father  helped  him 
through  college.  His  own  money  had  not  sufficed,  and  so 
William  C.  Preston  and  my  father  advanced  funds  sufficient 
to  let  him  be  graduated.  Then  my  uncle,  Charles  Miller, 
married  his  aunt.  I  listened  in  ra*pture,  for  all  this  tended 
to  leniency  in  the  leather  business,  and  I  bore  off  the  leather 
gladly.  When  asked  for  Confederate  money  in  trade  I 
never  stop  to  bargain.  I  give  them  $20  or  $50  cheerfully 
for  anything — either  sum. 

March  8th. — Colonel  Childs  came  with  a  letter  from  my 
husband  and  a  newspaper  containing  a  full  account  of  Sher 
man's  cold-blooded  brutality  in  Columbia.  Then  we  walked 
three  miles  to  return  the  call  of  my  benefactress,  Mrs.  Mc- 
Daniel.  They  were  kind  and  hospitable  at  her  house,  but 
my  heart  was  like  lead;  my  head  ached,  and  my  legs  were 
worse  than  my  head,  and  then  I  had  a  nervous  chill.  So  I 
came  home,  went  to  bed  and  stayed  there  until  the  Fants 
brought  me  a  letter  saying  my  husband  would  be  here  to 
day.  Then  I  got  up  and  made  ready  to  give  him  a  cheerful 
reception.  Soon  a  man  called,  Troy  by  name,  the  same  who 
kept  the  little  corner  shop  so  near  my  house  in  Columbia,  and 
of  whom  we  bought  things  so  often.  We  had  fraternized. 
He  now  shook  hands  with  me  and  looked  in  my  face  piti 
fully.  We  seemed  to  have  been  friends  all  our  lives.  He 
says  they  stopped  the  fire  at  the  Methodist  College,  perhaps 
to  save  old  Mr.  McCartha's  house.  Mr.  Sheriff  Dent,  being 
burned  out,  took  refuge  in  our  house.  He  contrived  to  find 
favor  in  Yankee  eyes.  Troy  relates  that  a  Yankee  officer 
snatched  a  watch  from  Mrs.  McCord's  bosom.  The  soldiers 
tore  the  bundles  of  clothes  that  the  poor  wretches  tried  to 
save  from  their  burning  homes,  and  dashed  them  back  into 
the  flames.  They  meant  to  make  a  clean  sweep.  They 
were  howling  round  the  fires  like  demons,  these  Yankees 
in  their  joy  and  triumph  at  our  destruction.  Well,  we  have 
given  them  a  big  scare  and  kept  them  miserable  for  four 
years — the  little  handful  of  us. 

362 


"NOT    A    BEGGAR" 


A  woman  we  met  on  the  street  stopped  to  tell  us  a  pain 
ful  coincidence.  A  general  was  married  but  he  could  not 
stay  at  home  very  long  after  the  wedding.  When  his  baby 
was  born  they  telegraphed  him,  and  he  sent  back  a  rejoic 
ing  answer  with  an  inquiry,  ' '  Is  it  a  boy  or  a  girl  ?  ' :  He 
was  killed  before  he  got  the  reply.  Was  it  not  sad?  His 
poor  young  wife  says, ' '  He  did  not  live  to  hear  that  his  son 
lived."  The  kind  woman  added,  sorrowfully,  "  Died  and 
did  not  know  the  sect  of  his  child. "  "  Let  us  hope  it  will 
be  a  Methodist/'  said  Isabella,  the  irrepressible. 

At  the  venison  feast  Isabella  heard  a  good  word  for  me 
and  one  for  General  Chesnut's  air  of  distinction,  a  thing 
people  can  not  give  themselves,  try  as  ever  they  may.  Lord 
Byron  says,  Everybody  knows  a  gentleman  when  he  sees 
one,  and  nobody  can  tell  what  it  is  that  makes  a  gentleman. 
He  knows  the  thing,  but  he  can't  describe  it.  Now  there  are 
some  French  words  that  can  not  be  translated,  and  we  all 
know  the  thing  they  mean — gracieuse  and  svelte,  for  in 
stance,  as  applied  to  a  woman.  Not  that  anything  was  said 
of  me  like  that — far  from  it.  I  am  fair,  fat,  forty,  and 
jolly,  and  in  my  unbroken  jollity,  as  far  as  they  know,  they 
found  my  charm.  ' '  You  see,  she  doesn  't  howl ;  she  doesn  't 
cry ;  she  never,  never  tells  anybody  about  what  she  was  used 
to  at  home  and  what  she  has  lost. ' '  High  praise,  and  I  in 
tend  to  try  and  deserve  it  ever  after. 

March  10th. — Went  to  church  crying  to  Ellen,  ll  It  is 
Lent,  we  must  fast  and  pray."  When  I  came  home  my 
good  fairy,  Colonel  Childs,  had  been  here  bringing  rice  and 
potatoes,  and  promising  flour.  He  is  a  trump.  He  pulled 
out  his  pocket-book  and  offered  to  be  my  banker.  He  stood 
there  on  the  street,  Miss  Middleton  and  Isabella  witnessing 
the  generous  action,  and  straight  out  offered  me  money. 
"  No,  put  up  that,"  said  I.  "  I  am  not  a  beggar,  and  I 
never  will  be ;  to  die  is  so  much  easier. ' ' 

Alas,  after  that  flourish  of  trumpets,  when  he  came  with 
a  sack  of  flour,  I  accepted  it  gratefully.  I  receive  things  I 
25  363 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

can  not  pay  for,  but  money  is  different.  There  I  draw  a 
line,  imaginary  perhaps.  Once  before  the  same  thing  hap 
pened.  Our  letters  of  credit  came  slowly  in  1845,  when  we 
went  unexpectedly  to  Europe  and  our  letters  were  to  fol 
low  us.  I  was  a  poor  little,  inoffensive  bride,  and  a  British 
officer,  who  guessed  our  embarrassment,  for  we  did  not  tell 
him  (he  came  over  with  us  on  the  ship),  asked  my  hus 
band  to  draw  on  his  banker  until  the  letters  of  credit  should 
arrive.  It  was  a  nice  thing  for  a  stranger  to  do. 

We  have  never  lost  what  we  never  had.  We  have  never 
had  any  money — only  unlimited  credit,  for  my  husband's 
richest  kind  of  a  father  insured  us  all  manner  of  credit. 
It  was  all  a  mirage  only  at  last,  and  it  has  gone  just  as  we 
drew  nigh  to  it. 

Colonel  Childs  says  eight  of  our  Senators  are  for  recon 
struction,  and  that  a  ray  of  light  has  penetrated  inward 
from  Lincoln,  who  told  Judge  Campbell  that  Southern  land 
would  not  be  confiscated. 

March  12th. — Better  to-day.  A  long,  long  weary  day  in 
grief  has  passed  away.  I  suppose  General  Chesnut  is  some 
where — but  where?  that  is  the  question.  Only  once  has  he 
visited  this  sad  spot,  which  holds,  he  says,  all  that  he  cares 
for  on  earth.  Unless  he  comes  or  writes  soon  I  will  cease,  or 
try  to  cease,  this  wearisome  looking,  looking,  looking  for 
him. 

March  13th. — My  husband  at  last  did  come  for  a  visit 
of  two  hours.  Brought  Lawrence,  who  had  been  to  Cam- 
den,  and  was  there,  indeed,  during  the  raid.  My  hus 
band  has  been  ordered  to  Chester,  S.  C.  We  are  surprised 
to  see  by  the  papers  that  we  behaved  heroically  in  leaving 
everything  we  had  to  be  destroyed,  without  one  thought  of 
surrender.  We  had  not  thought  of  ourselves  from  the  he 
roic  point  of  view.  Isaac  McLaughlin  hid  and  saved  every 
thing  we  trusted  him  with.  A  grateful  negro  is  Isaac. 

March  15th. — Lawrence  says  Miss  Chesnut  is  very  proud 
of  the  presence  of  mind  and  cool  self-possession  she  showed 

364 


MULBERRY  AND  THE  HERMITAGE 

in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  She  lost,  after  all,  only  two  bot 
tles  of  champagne,  two  of  her  brother's  gold-headed  canes, 
and  her  brother's  horses,  including  Claudia,  the  brood 
mare,  that  he  valued  beyond  price,  and  her  own  carriage, 
and  a  fly-brush  boy  called  Battis,  whose  occupation  in  life 
was  to  stand  behind  the  table  with  his  peacock  feathers  and 
brush  the  flies  away.  He  was  the  sole  member  of  his  dusky 
race  at  Mulberry  who  deserted  "  Ole  Marster  "  to  follow 
the  Yankees. 

Now  for  our  losses  at  the  Hermitage.  Added  to  the 
gold-headed  canes  and  Claudia,  we  lost  every  mule  and 
horse,  and  President  Davis 's  beautiful  Arabian  was  cap 
tured.  John 's  were  there,  too.  My  light  dragoon,  Johnny, 
and  heavy  swell,  is  stripped  light  enough  for  the  fight  now. 
Jonathan,  whom  we  trusted,  betrayed  us ;  and  the  plantation 
and  mills,  Mulberry  house,  etc.,  were  saved  by  Claiborne, 
that  black  rascal,  who  was  suspected  by  all  the  world.  Clai 
borne  boldly  affirmed  that  Mr.  Chesnut  would  not  be  hurt 
by  destroying  his  place;  the  invaders  would  hurt  only  the 
negroes.  "  Mars  Jeems,"  said  he,  "  hardly  ever  come 
here  and  he  takes  only  a  little  sompen  nur  to  eat  when  he 
do  come. ' '. 

FfiS£T-  .continuing,  I  sent  for  St.  Julien  Ravenel.  We 
had  a  wrangle  over  the  slavery  question.  Then,  he  fell  foul 
of  everybody  who  had  not  conducted  this  war  according  to 
his  ideas.  Ellen  had  something  nice  to  offer  him  (thanks 
to  the  ever-bountiful  Childs!),  but  he  was  too  angry,  too 
anxious,  too  miserable  to  eat.  He  pitched  into  Ellen  after 
he  had  disposed  of  me.  Ellen  stood  glaring  at  him  from  the 
fireplace,  her  blue  eye  nearly  white,  her  other  eye  blazing 
as  a  comet.  Last  Sunday,  he  gave  her  some  Dover's  pow 
ders  for  me ;  directions  were  written  on  the  paper  in  which 
the  medicine  was  wrapped,  and  he  told  her  to  show  these  to 
me,  then  to  put  what  I  should  give  her  into  a  wine-glass 
and  let  me  drink  it.  Ellen  put  it  all  into  the  wine-glass  and 
let  me  drink  it  at  one  dose.  "  It  was  enough  to  last  you 

365 


Feb.  16,  1865  LINCOLNTON,    N.    C.  March  15,  1865 

your  lifetime,"  he  said.  "  It  was  murder."  Turning  to 
Ellen:  "  What  did  you  do  with  the  directions?  "  "I 
nuwer  see  no  d'rections.  You  nuvver  gimme  none."  "  I 
told  you  to  show  that  paper  to  your  mistress."  "  Well,  I 
flung  dat  ole  brown  paper  iri  de  fire.  What  you  makin'  all 
dis  fuss  for  ?  Soon  as  I  give  Missis  de  physic,  she  stop  fret- 
tin'  an'  flingin'  'bout,  she  go  to  sleep  sweet  as  a  suckling 
baby,  an'  she  slep  two  days  an'  nights,  an'  now  she  heap 
better."  And  Ellen  withdrew  from  the  controversy. 

"  Well,  all  is  well  that  ends  well,  Mrs.  Chesnut.  You 
took  opium  enough  to  kill  several  persons.  You  were  wor 
ried  out  and  needed  rest.  You  came  near  getting  it — thor 
oughly.  You  were  in  no  danger  from  your  disease.  But 
your  doctor  and  your  nurse  combined  were  deadly. ' '  May 
be  I  was  saved  by  the  adulteration,  the  feebleness,  of  Con 
federate  medicine. 


A  letter  from  my  husband,  written  at  Chester  Court 
House  on  March  15th,  says :  *  *  In  the  morning  I  send  Lieut. 
Ogden  with  Lawrence  to  Lincolnton  to  bring  you  down.  I 
have  three  vacant  rooms ;  one  with  bedsteads,  chairs,  wash- 
stands,  basins,  and  pitchers;  the  two  others  bare.  You 
can  have  half  of  a  kitchen  for  your  cooking.  I  have  also  at 
Dr.  Da  Vega's,  a  room,  furnished,  to  which  you  are  in 
vited  (board,  also).  You  can  take  your  choice.  If  you  can 
get  your  friends  in  Lincolnton  to  assume  charge  of  your 
valuables,  only  bring  such  as  you  may  need  here.  Perhaps 
it  will  be  better  to  bring  bed  and  bedding  and  the  other 
indispensables. ' ' 


366 


XX 

CHESTER,    S.    C. 

March  21,  1865— May  1,  1865 

(HESTER,  S.  C.,  March  21}  1865.— Another  flitting  has 
occurred.  Captain  Ogden  came  for  me;  the  splen 
did  Childs  was  true  as  steel  to  the  last.  Surely 
he  is  the  kindest  of  men.  Captain  Ogden  was  slightly  in 
credulous  when  I  depicted  the  wonders  of  Colonel  Childs 's 
generosity.  So  I  skilfully  led  out  the  good  gentleman  for 
inspection,  and  he  walked  to  the  train  with  us.  He  offered 
me  Confederate  money,  silver,  and  gold ;  and  finally  offered 
to  buy  our  cotton  and  pay  us  now  in  gold.  Of  course,  I 
laughed  at  his  overflowing  bounty,  and  accepted  nothing; 
but  I  begged  him  to  come  down  to  Chester  or  Camden  and 
buy  our  cotton  of  General  Chesnut  there. 

On  the  train  after  leaving  Lincolnton,  as  Captain  Ogden 
is  a  refugee,  has  had  no  means  of  communicating  with  his 
home  since  New  Orleans  fell,  and  was  sure  to  know  how 
refugees  contrive  to  live,  I  beguiled  the  time  acquiring  in 
formation  from  him.  "  When  people  are  without  a  cent, 
how  do  they  live?  "  I  asked.  "  I  am  about  to  enter  the 
noble  band  of  homeless,  houseless  refugees,  and  Confeder 
ate  pay  does  not  buy  one 's  shoe-strings. ' '  To  which  he  re 
plied,  "  Sponge,  sponge.  Why  did  you  not  let  Colonel 
Childs  pay  your  bills?  "  "  I  have  no  bills, "  said  I.  "  We 
have  never  made  bills  anywhere,  not  even  at  home,  where 
they  would  trust  us,  and  nobody  would  trust  me  in  Lincoln- 
ton.  "  "  Why  did  you  not  borrow  his  money?  General 
Chesnut  could  pay  him  at  his  leisure?  "  "  I  am  by  no 

367 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

means   sure   General  Chesmit   will   ever  again   have   any 
money,"  said  I. 

As  the  train  rattled  and  banged  along,  and  I  waved  my 
handkerchief  in  farewell  to  Miss  Middleton,  Isabella,  and 
other  devoted  friends,  I  could  only  wonder  if  fate  would 
ever  throw  me  again  with  such  kind,  clever,  agreeable,  con 
genial  companions?  The  McLeans  refused  to  be  paid  for 
their  rooms.  No  plummet  can  sound  the  depths  of  the  hos 
pitality  and  kindness  of  the  North  Carolina  people. 

Misfortune  dogged  us  from  the  outset.  Everything 
went  wrong  with  the  train.  We  broke  down  within  two 
miles  of  Charlotte,  and  had  to  walk  that  distance;  which 
was  pretty  rough  on  an  invalid  barely  out  of  a  fever.  My 
spirit  was  further  broken  by  losing  an  invaluable  lace  veil, 
which  was  worn  because  I  was  too  poor  to  buy  a  cheaper 
one — that  is,  if  there  were  any  veils  at  all  for  sale  in  our 
region. 

My  husband  had  ordered  me  to  a  house  in  Charlotte 
kept  by  some  great  friends  of  his.  They  established  me  in 
the  drawing-room,  a  really  handsome  apartment ;  they  made 
up  a  bed  there  and  put  in  a  washstand  and  plenty  of  water, 
with  everything  refreshingly  clean  and  nice.  But  it  con 
tinued  to  be  a  public  drawing-room,  open  to  all,  so  that  I 
was  half  dead  at  night  and  wanted  to  go  to  bed.  The  piano 
was  there  and  the  company  played  it. 

The  landlady  announced,  proudly,  that  for  supper  there 
were  nine  kinds  of  custard.  Custard  sounded  nice  and 
light,  so  I  sent  for  some,  but  found  it  heavy  potato  pie.  I 
said:  "  Ellen,  this  may  kill  me,  though  Dover's  powder  did 
not."  "  Don't  you  believe  dat,  Missis;  try."  We  barri 
caded  ourselves  in  the  drawing-room  that  night  and  left  the 
next  day  at  dawn.  Arrived  at  the  station,  we  had  another 
disappointment;  the  train  was  behind  time.  There  we  sat 
on  our  boxes  nine  long  hours ;  for  the  cars  might  come  at 
any  moment,  and  we  dared  not  move  an  inch  from  the  spot. 

Finally  the  train  rolled  in  overloaded  with  paroled  pris- 

368 


A   WISH    TO    LIVE    IN    PEACE 


oners,  but  heaven  helped  us :  a  kind  mail  agent  invited  us, 
with  two  other  forlorn  women,  into  his  comfortable  and 
clean  mail-car.  Ogden,  true  to  his  theory,  did  not  stay  at 
the  boarding-house  as  we  did.  Some  Christian  acquaint 
ances  took  him  in  for  the  night.  This  he  explained  with  a 
grin. 

My  husband  was  at  the  Chester  station  with  a  carriage. 
We  drove  at  once  to  Mrs.  Da  Vega's. 

March  24th. — I  have  been  ill,  but  what  could  you  ex 
pect?  My  lines,  however,  have  again  fallen  in  pleasant 
places.  Mrs.  Da  Vega  is  young,  handsome,  and  agreeable, 
a  kind  and  perfect  hostess ;  and  as  to  the  house,  my  room  is 
all  that  I  could  ask  and  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired;  so 
very  fresh,  clean,  warm,  and  comfortable  is  it.  It  is  the 
drawing-room  suddenly  made  into  a  bedroom  for  me.  But 
it  is  my  very  own.  We  are  among  the  civilized  of  the  earth 
once  more. 

March  27th. — I  have  moved  again,  and  now  I  am  looking 
from  a  window  high,  with  something  more  to  see  than  the 
sky.  We  have  the  third  story  of  Dr.  Da  Vega's  house, 
which  opens  on  the  straight  street  that  leads  to  the  railroad 
about  a  mile  off. 

Mrs.  Bedon  is  the  loveliest  of  young  widows.  Yesterday 
at  church  Isaac  Hayne  nestled  so  close  to  her  cap-strings 
that  I  had  to  touch  him  and  say, '  *  Sit  up !  ' :  Josiah  Bedon 
was  killed  in  that  famous  fight  of  the  Charleston  Light  Dra 
goons.  The  dragoons  stood  still  to  be  shot  down  in  their 
tracks,  having  no  orders  to  retire.  They  had  been  forgotten, 
doubtless,  and  they  scorned  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

In  this  high  and  airy  retreat,  as  in  Richmond,  then  in 
Columbia,  and  then  in  Lincolnton,  my  cry  is  still :  If  they 
would  only  leave  me  here  in  peace  and  if  I  were  sure  things 
never  could  be  worse  with  me.  Again  am  I  surrounded  by 
old  friends.  People  seem  to  vie  with  each  other  to  show  how 
good  they  can  be  to  me. 

To-day  Smith  opened  the  trenches  and  appeared  laden 

369 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

with  a  tray  covered  with  a  snow-white  napkin.  Here  was 
my  first  help  toward  housekeeping  again.  Mrs.  Pride  has 
sent  a  boiled  ham,  a  loaf  of  bread,  a  huge  pancake ;  another 
neighbor  coffee  already  parched  and  ground;  a  loaf  of 
sugar  already  cracked;  candles,  pickles,  and  all  the  other 
things  one  must  trust  to  love  for  now.  Such  money  as  we 
have  avails  us  nothing,  even  if  there  were  anything  left  in 
the  shops  to  buy. 

We  had  a  jolly  luncheon.  James  Lowndes  called,  the 
best  of  good  company.  He  said  of  Buck,  "  She  is  a  queen, 
and  ought  to  reign  in  a  palace.  No  Prince  Charming  yet; 
no  man  has  yet  approached  her  that  I  think  half  good 
enough  for  her." 

Then  Mrs.  Prioleau  Hamilton,  nee  Levy,  came  with  the 
story  of  family  progress,  not  a  royal  one,  from  Columbia 
here :  "  Before  we  left  home,"  said  she,  "  Major  Hamilton 
spread  a  map  of  the  United  States  on  the  table,  and  showed 
me  with  his  finger  where  Sherman  was  likely  to  go.  Wom 
anlike,  I  demurred.  *  But,  suppose  he  does  not  choose  to 
go  that  way  ?  '  '  Pooh,  pooh !  what  do  you  know  of  war  ?  ' 
So  we  set  out,  my  husband,  myself,  and  two  children,  all  in 
one  small  buggy.  The  14th  of  February  we  took  up  our  line 
of  march,  and  straight  before  Sherman 's  men  for  five  weeks 
we  fled  together.  By  incessant  hurrying  and  scurrying 
from  pillar  to  post,  we  succeeded  in  acting  as  a  sort  of 
avant-courier  of  the  Yankee  army.  Without  rest  and  with 
much  haste,  we  got  here  last  Wednesday,  and  here  we  mean 
to  stay  and  defy  Sherman  and  his  legions.  Much  the  worse 
for  wear  were  we. ' ' 

The  first  night  their  beauty  sleep  was  rudely  broken  into 
at  Alston  with  a  cry,  "  Move  on,  the  Yanks  are  upon  us!  " 
So  they  hurried  on,  half-awake,  to  Winnsboro,  but  with  no 
better  luck.  There  they  had  to  lighten  the  ship,  leave 
trunks,  etc.,  and  put  on  all  sail,  for  this  time  the  Yankees 
were  only  five  miles  behind.  "  Whip  and  spur,  ride  for 
your  life!  "  was  the  cry.  "  Sherman's  objective  point 

370 


SHERMAN    AND    JOHNSTON 


seemed  to  be  our  buggy,"  said  she;  "  for  you  know  that 
when  we  got  to  Lancaster  Sherman  was  expected  there,  and 
he  keeps  his  appointments ;  that  is,  he  kept  that  one.  Two 
small  children  were  in  our  chariot,  and  I  began  to  think  of 
the  Red  Sea  expedition.  But  we  lost  no  time,  and  soon  we 
were  in  Cheraw,  clearly  out  of  the  track.  We  thanked  God 
for  all  his  mercies  and  hugged  to  our  bosoms  fond  hopes  of 
a  bed  and  bath  so  much  needed  by  all,  especially  for  the 
children. 

"  At  twelve  o'clock  General  Hardee  himself  knocked  us 
up  with  word  to  l  March !  march !  '  for  '  all  the  blue  bon 
nets  are  over  the  border. '  In  mad  haste  we  made  for  Fay- 
etteville,  when  they  said : l  God  bless  your  soul !  This  is  the 
seat  of  war  now;  the  battle-ground  where  Sherman  and 
Johnston  are  to  try  conclusions. '  So  we  harked  back,  as  the 
hunters  say,  and  cut  across  country,  aiming  for  this  place. 
Clean  clothes,  my  dear  ?  Never  a  one  except  as  we  took  off 
garment  by  garment  and  washed  it  and  dried  it  by  our 
camp  fire,  with  our  loins  girded  and  in  haste. ' '  I  was  snug 
and  comfortable  all  that  time  in  Lincolnton. 


To-day  Stephen  D.  Lee's  corps  marched  through — only 
to  surrender.  The  camp  songs  of  these  men  were  a  heart 
break  ;  so  sad,  yet  so  stirring.  They  would  have  warmed  the 
blood  of  an  Icelander.  The  leading  voice  was  powerful, 
mellow,  clear,  distinct,  pathetic,  sweet.  So,  I  sat  down,  as 
women  have  done  before,  when  they  hung  up  their  harps  by 
strange  streams,  and  I  wept  the  bitterness  of  such  weeping. 
Music  ?  Away,  away !  Thou  speakest  to  me  of  things  which 
in  all  my  long  life  I  have  not  found,  and  I  shall  not  find. 
There  they  go,  the  gay  and  gallant  few,  doomed;  the  last 
gathering  of  the  flower  of  Southern  pride,  to  be  killed,  or 
worse,  to  a  prison.  They  continue  to  prance  by,  light  and 
jaunty.  They  march  with  as  airy  a  tread  as  if  they  still  be 
lieved  the  world  was  all  on  their  side,  and  that  there  were 

371 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

no  Yankee  bullets  for  the  unwary.    What  will  Joe  Johnston 
do  with  them  now? 

The  Hood  melodrama  is  over,  though  the  curtain  has  not 
fallen  on  the  last  scene.  Cassandra  croaks  and  makes  many 
mistakes,  but  to-day  she  believes  that  Hood  stock  is  going 
down.  When  that  style  of  .enthusiasm  is  on  the  wane,  the 
rapidity  of  its  extinction  is  miraculous.  It  is  like  the  snuff 
ing  out  of  a  candle;  "  one  moment  white,  then  gone  for 
ever."  No,  that  is  not  right;  it  is  the  snow-flake  on  the 
river  that  is  referred  to.  I  am  getting  things  as  much 
mixed  as  do  the  fine  ladies  of  society. 

Lee  and  Johnston  have  each  fought  a  drawn  battle ;  only 
a  few  more  dead  bodies  lie  stiff  and  stark  on  an  unknown 
battle-field.  For  we  do  not  so  much  as  know  where  these 
drawn  battles  took  place. 

Teddy  Barnwell,  after  sharing  with  me  my  first  lunch 
eon,  failed  me  cruelly.  He  was  to  come  for  me  to  go  down 
to  the  train  and  see  Isabella  pass  by.  One  word  with  Isa 
bella  worth  a  thousand  ordinary  ones!  So,  she  has  gone 
by  and  I  Ve  not  seen  her. 

Old  Colonel  Chesnut  refuses  to  say  grace;  but  as  he 
leaves  the  table  audibly  declares,  ' '  I  thank  God  for  a  good 
dinner."  When  asked  why  he  did  this  odd  thing  he  said: 
'  *  My  way  is  to  be  sure  of  a  thing  before  I  return  thanks  for 
it."  Mayor  Goodwyn  thanked  Sherman  for  promised  pro 
tection  to  Columbia;  soon  after,  the  burning  began. 

I  received  the  wife  of  a  post-office  robber.  The  poor 
thing  had  done  no  wrong,  and  I  felt  so  sorry  for  her.  Who 
would  be  a  woman?  Who  that  fool,  a  weeping,  pining, 
faithful  woman?  She  hath  hard  measures  still  when  she 
hopes  kindest.  And  all  her  beauty  only  makes  ingrates ! 

March  29th. — I  was  awakened  with  a  bunch  of  violets 
from  Mrs.  Pride.  Violets  always  remind  me  of  Kate  and 
of  the  sweet  South  wind  that  blew  in  the  garden  of  para 
dise  part  of  my  life.  Then,  it  all  came  back :  the  dread  un 
speakable  that  lies  behind  every  thought  now. 

372 


FLIGHT   IN    A   BOX -CAR 


Thursday. — I  find  I  have  not  spoken  of  the  box-car 
which  held  the  Preston  party  that  day  on  their  way  to 
York  from  Richmond.  In  the  party  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lawson  Clay,  General  and  Mrs.  Preston  and  their  three 
daughters,  Captain  Rodgers,  and  Mr.  Portman,  whose 
father  is  an  English  earl,  and  connected  financially  and 
happily  with  Portman  Square.  In  my  American  ignorance 
I  may  not  state  Mr.  Portman 's  case  plainly.  Mr.  Portman 
is,  of  course,  a  younger  son.  Then  there  was  Cellie  and  her 
baby  and  wet-nurse,  with  no  end  of  servants,  male  and  fe 
male.  In  this  ark  they  slept,  ate,  and  drank,  such  being  the 
fortune  of  war.  We  were  there  but  a  short  time,  but  Mr. 
Portman,  during  that  brief  visit  of  ours,  was  said  to  have 
eaten  three  luncheons,  and  the  number  of  his  drinks,  tod 
dies,  so  called,  were  counted,  too.  Mr.  Portman 's  contribu 
tion  to  the  larder  had  been  three  small  pigs.  They  were, 
however,  run  over  by  the  train,  and  made  sausage  meat  of 
unduly  and  before  their  time. 

General  Lee  says  to  the  men  who  shirk  duty,  "  This  is 
the  people's  war;  when  they  tire,  I  stop."  Wigfall  says, 
li  It  is  all  over;  the  game  is  up."  He  is  on  his  way  to 
Texas,  and  when  the  hanging  begins  he  can  step  over  into 
Mexico. 

I  am  plucking  up  heart,  such  troops  do  I  see  go  by  every 
day.  They  must  turn  the  tide,  and  surely  they  are  going 
for  something  more  than  surrender.  It  is  very  late,  and  the 
wind  flaps  my  curtain,  which  seems  to  moan,  "  Too  late." 
All  this  will  end  by  making  me  a  nervous  lunatic. 

Yesterday  while  I  was  driving  with  Mrs.  Pride,  Colo 
nel  McCaw  passed  us!  He  called  out,  "  I  do  hope  you  are 
in  comfortable  quarters."  "  Very  comfortable,"  I  replied. 
"  Oh,  Mrs.  Chesnut!  "  said  Mrs.  Pride,  "  how  can  you  say 
that  ?  ' '  * '  Perfectly  comfortable,  and  hope  it  may  never  be 
worse  with  me,"  said  I.  "I  have  a  clean  little  parlor,  16 
by  18,  with  its  bare  floor  well  scrubbed,  a  dinner-table,  six 
chairs,  and — well,  that  is  all ;  but  I  have  a  charming  lookout 

373 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

from  my  window  high.  My  world  is  now  thus  divided  into 
two  parts — where  Yankees  are  and  where  Yankees  are  not. ' ' 

As  I  sat  disconsolate,  looking  out,  ready  for  any  new 
tramp  of  men  and  arms,  the  magnificent  figure  of  General 
Preston  hove  in  sight.  He  was  mounted  on  a  mighty  steed, 
worthy  of  its  rider,  followed  by  his  trusty  squire,  William 
Walker,  who  bore  before  him  the  General's  portmanteau. 
When  I  had  time  to  realize  the  situation,  I  perceived  at 
General  Preston's  right  hand  Mr.  Christopher  Hampton 
and  Mr.  Portman,  who  passed  by.  Soon  Mrs.  Pride,  in  some 
occult  way,  divined  or  heard  that  they  were  coming  here, 
and  she  sent  me  at  once  no  end  of  good  things  for  my  tea- 
table.  General  Preston  entered  very  soon  after,  and  with 
him  Clement  Clay,  of  Alabama,  the  latter  in  pursuit  of  his 
wife 's  trunk.  I  left  it  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Martin,  and  have 
no  doubt  it  is  perfectly  safe,  but  where?  We  have  written 
to  Mr.  Martin  to  inquire.  Then  Wilmot  de  Saussure  ap 
peared.  "  I  am  here,"  he  said,  "  to  consult  with  General 
Chesnut.  He  and  I  always  think  alike."  He  added,  em 
phatically:  "  Slavery  is  stronger  than  ever."  "  If  you 
think  so,"  said  I,  "  you  will  find  that  for  once  you  and 
General  Chesnut  do  not  think  alike.  He  has  held  that  sla 
very  was  a  thing  of  the  past,  this  many  a  year. ' ' 

I  said  to  General  Preston :  *  *  I  pass  my  days  and  nights 
partly  at  this  window.  I  am  sure  our  army  is  silently  dis 
persing.  Men  are  moving  the  wrong  way,  all  the  time. 
They  slip  by  with  no  songs  and  no  shouts  now.  They  have 
given  the  thing  up.  See  for  yourself.  Look  there. ' '  For  a 
while  the  streets  were  thronged  with  soldiers  and  then  they 
were  empty  again.  But  the  marching  now  is  without  tap 
of  drum. 

March  31st. — Mr.  Priolcau  Hamilton  told  us  of  a  great 
adventure.  Mrs.  Preston  was  put  under  his  care  on  the  train. 
He  soon  found  the  only  other  women  along  were  "  strictly 
unfortunate  females,"  as  Carlyle  calls  them,  beautiful  and 
aggressive.  He  had  to  communicate  the  unpleasant  fact  to 

374 


MISS    CHESNUT   AND   THE    YANKEE 

Mrs.  Preston,  on  account  of  their  propinquity,  and  was  lost 
in  admiration  of  her  silent  dignity,  her  quiet  self-posses 
sion,  her  calmness,  her  deafness  and  blindness,  her  thor 
oughbred  ignoring  of  all  that  she  did  not  care  to  see.  Some 
women,  no  matter  how  ladylike,  would  have  made  a  fuss 
or  would  have  fidgeted,  but  Mrs.  Preston  dominated  the  sit 
uation  and  possessed  her  soul  in  innocence  and  peace. 

Met  Robert  Johnston  from  Camden.  He  has  been  a  pris 
oner,  having  been  taken  at  Camden.  The  Yankees  robbed 
Zack  Cantey  of  his  forks  and  spoons.  When  Zack  did  not 
seem  to  like  it,  they  laughed  at  him.  When  he  said  he  did 
not  see  any  fun  in  it,  they  pretended  to  weep  and  wiped 
their  eyes  with  their  coat-tails.  All  this  maddening  deri 
sion  Zack  said  was  as  hard  to  bear  as  it  was  to  see  them  ride 
off  with  his  horse,  Albine.  They  stole  all  of  Mrs.  Zack's 
jewelry  and  silver.  When  the  Yankee  general  heard  of  it 
he  wrote  her  a  very  polite  note,  saying  how  sorry  he  was 
that  she  had  been  annoyed,  and  returned  a  bundle  of  Zack 's 
love-letters,  written  to  her  before  she  was  married.  Robert 
Johnston  said  Miss  Chesnut  was  a  brave  and  determined 
spirit.  One  Yankee  officer  came  in  while  they  were  at  break 
fast  and  sat  down  to  warm  himself  at  the  fire.  "  Rebels 
have  no  rights/'  Miss  Chesnut  said  to  him  politely.  "  I 
suppose  you  have  come  to  rob  us.  Please  do  so  and  go. 
Your  presence  agitates  my  blind  old  father."  The  man 
jumped  up  in  a  rage,  and  said,  "  What  do  you  take  me  for 
— a  robber  ?  ' :  "  No,  indeed, ' '  said  she,  and  for  very  shame 
he  marched  out  empty-handed. 

April  3d. — Saw  General  Preston  ride  off.  He  came  to 
tell  me  good-by.  I  told  him  he  looked  like  a  Crusader  on 
his  great  white  horse,  with  William,  his  squire,  at  his  heels. 
Our  men  are  all  consummate  riders,  and  have  their  servants 
well  mounted  behind  them,  carrying  cloaks  and  traps — how 
different  from  the  same  men  packed  like  sardines  in  dirty 
railroad  cars,  usually  floating  inch  deep  in  liquid  tobacco 
juice. 

375 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

For  the  kitchen  and  Ellen's  comfort  I  wanted  a  pine 
table  and  a  kitchen  chair.  A  woman  sold  me  one  to-day  for 
three  thousand  Confederate  dollars. 

Mrs.  Hamilton  has  been  disappointed  again.  Prioleau 
Hamilton  says  the  person  into  whose  house  they  expected 
to  move  to-day  came  to  say  she  could  not  take  boarders  for 
three  reasons:  First,  "  that  they  had  smallpox  in  the 
house."  "  And  the  two  others?  "  "  Oh,  I  did  not  ask  for 
the  two  others!  '' 

April  5th. — Miss  Middleton's  letter  came  in  answer  to 
mine,  telling  her  how  generous  my  friends  here  were  to  me. 
'  We  long,"  she  says,  "  for  our  own  small  sufficiency  of 
wood,  corn,  and  vegetables.  Here  is  a  struggle  unto  death, 
although  the  neighbors  continue  to  feed  us,  as  you  would 
say,  '  with  a  spoon.'  We  have  fallen  upon  a  new  device. 
We  keep  a  cookery  book  on  the  mantelpiece,  and  when  the 
dinner  is  deficient  we  just  read  off  a  pudding  or  a  creme. 
It  does  not  entirely  satisfy  the  appetite,  this  dessert  in  im 
agination,  but  perhaps  it  is  as  good  for  the  digestion. ' ' 

As  I  was  ready  to  go,  though  still  up-stairs,  some  one 
came  to  say  General  Hood  had  called.  Mrs.  Hamilton 
cried  out,  * '  Send  word  you  are  not  at  home. "  "  Never !  ' ' 
said  I.  "  Why  make  him  climb  all  these  stairs  when  you 
must  go  in  five  minutes  ?  ' '  "  If  he  had  come  here  dragging 
Sherman  as  a  captive  at  his  chariot  wheels  I  might  say  '  not 
at  home,'  but  not  now."  And  I  ran  down  and  greeted  him 
on  the  sidewalk  in  the  face  of  all,  and  walked  slowly  beside 
him  as  he  toiled  up  the  weary  three  stories,  limping  gallant 
ly.  He  was  so  well  dressed  and  so  cordial ;  not  depressed  in 
the  slightest.  Pie  was  so  glad  to  see  me.  He  calls  his  re 
port  self-defense;  says  Joe  Johnston  attacked  him  and  he 
was  obliged  to  state  things  from  his  point  of  view.  And 
now  follow  statements,  where  one  may  read  between  the 
lines  what  one  chooses.  He  had  been  offered  a  command  in 
Western  Virginia,  but  as  General  Lee  was  concerned  because 
he  and  Joe  Johnston  were  not  on  cordial  terms,  and  as  the 

376 


RICHMOND    FALLS 


fatigue  of  the  mountain  campaign  would  be  too  great  for 
him,  he  would  like  the  chance  of  going  across  the  Missis 
sippi.  Texas  was  true  to  him,  and  would  be  his  home,  as  it 
had  voted  him  a  ranch  somewhere  out  there.  They  say  Gen 
eral  Lee  is  utterly  despondent,  and  has  no  plan  if  Richmond 
goes,  as  go  it  must. 

April  7th. — Richmond  has  fallen  and  I  have  no  heart 
to  write  about  it.  Grant  broke  through  our  lines  and  Sher 
man  cut  through  them.  Stoneman  is  this  side  of  Danville. 
They  are  too  many  for  us.  Everything  is  lost  in  Richmond, 
even  our  archives.  Blue  black  is  our  horizon.  Hood  says 
we  shall  all  be  obliged  to  go  West — to  Texas,  I  mean,  for 
our  own  part  of  the  country  will  be  overrun. 

Yes,  a  solitude  and  a  wild  waste  it  may  become,  but,  as 
to  that,  we  can  rough  it  in  the  bush  at  home. 

De  Fontaine,  in  his  newspaper,  continues  the  old  cry. 
' '  Now  Richmond  is  given  up, ' '  he  says,  ' '  it  was  too  heavy 
a  load  to  carry,  and  we  are  stronger  than  ever."  "  Strong 
er  than  ever  ?  ' :  Nine-tenths  of  our  army  are  under  ground 
and  where  is  another  army  to  come  from?  Will  they  wait 
until  we  grow  one  ? 

April  15th. — What  a  week  it  has  been — madness,  sad 
ness,  anxiety,  turmoil,  ceaseless  excitement.  The  Wigfalls 
passed  through  on  their  way  to  Texas.  We  did  not  see 
them.  Louly  told  Hood  they  were  bound  for  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  ir-tended  to  shake  hands  with  Maximilian,  Em 
peror  of  Mexico.  Yankees  were  expected  here  every  min 
ute.  Mrs.  Davis  came.  We  went  down  to  the  cars  at  day 
light  to  receive  her.  She  dined  with  me.  Lovely  Winnie, 
the  baby,  came,  too.  Buck  and  Hood  were  here,  and  that 
queen  of  women,  Mary  Darby.  Clay  behaved  like  a  trump. 
He  was  as  devoted  to  Mrs.  Davis  in  her  adversity  as  if  they 
had  never  quarreled  in  her  prosperity.  People  sent  me 
things  for  Mrs.  Davis,  as  they  did  in  Columbia  for  Mr. 
Davis.  It  was  a  luncheon  or  breakfast  only  she  stayed  for 
here.  Mrs.  Brown  prepared  a  dinner  for  her  at  the  sta- 

377 


March  21,  1B65  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

tion.  I  went  down  with  her.  She  left  here  at  five  o'clock. 
My  heart  was  like  lead,  but  we  did  not  give  way.  She  was 
as  calm  and  smiling  as  ever.  It  was  but  a  brief  glimpse  of 
my  dear  Mrs.  Davis,  and  under  altered  skies. 

April  17th. — A  letter  from  Mrs.  Davis,  who  writes: 
"  Do  come  to  me,  and  see  how  we  get  on.  I  shall  have  a 
spare  room  by  the  time  you  arrive,  indifferently  furnished, 
but,  oh,  so  affectionately  placed  at  your  service.  You  will 
receive  such  a  loving  welcome.  One  perfect  bliss  have  I. 
The  baby,  who  grows  fat  and  is  smiling  always,  is  chris 
tened,  and  not  old  enough  to  develop  the  world's  vices  or  to 
be  snubbed  by  it.  The  name  so  long  delayed  is  Varina 
Anne.  My  name  is  a  heritage  of  woe. 

"  Are  you  delighted  with  your  husband?  I  am  de 
lighted  with  him  as  well  as  with  my  own.  It  is  well  to  lose 
an  Arabian  horse  if  one  elicits  such  a  tender  and  at  the 
same  time  knightly  letter  as  General  Chesnut  wrote  to  my 
poor  old  Prometheus.  I  do  not  think  that  for  a  time  he 
felt  the  vultures  after  the  reception  of  the  General's  letter. 

"  I  hear  horrid  reports  about  Richmond.  It  is  said 
that  all  below  Ninth  Street  to  the  Rocketts  has  been  burned 
by  the  rabble,  who  mobbed  the  town.  The  Yankee  per 
formances  have  not  been  chronicled.  May  God  take  our 
cause  into  His  own  hands. ' ' 

April  19th. — Just  now,  when  Mr.  Clay  dashed  up-stairs, 
pale  as  a  sheet,  saying,  "  General  Lee  has  capitulated,"  I 
saw  it  reflected  in  Mary  Darby's  face  before  I  heard  him 
speak.  She  staggered  to  the  table,  sat  down,  and  wept 
aloud.  Mr.  Clay's  eyes  were  not  dry.  Quite  beside  her 
self  Mary  shrieked,  "  Now  we  belong  to  negroes  and  Yan 
kees  !  ' '  Buck  said,  ' '  I  do  not  believe  it. ' ' 

How  different  from  ours  of  them  is  their  estimate  of  us. 
How  contradictory  is  their  attitude  toward  us.  To  keep  the 
despised  and  iniquitous  South  within  their  borders,  as  part 
of  their  country,  they  are  willing  to  enlist  millions  of  men 
at  home  and  abroad,  and  to  spend  billions,  and  we  know 

378 


LEE'S    SURRENDER 


they  do  not  love  fighting  per  se,  nor  spending  money.  They 
are  perfectly  willing  to  have  three  killed  for  our  one.  We 
hear  they  have  all  grown  rich,  through  * '  shoddy, ' '  whatever 
that  is.  Genuine  Yankees  can  make  a  fortune  trading  jack- 
knives. 

* '  Somehow  it  is  borne  in  on  me  that  we  will  have  to  pay 
the  piper, ' '  was  remarked  to-day.  ' '  No ;  blood  can  not  be 
squeezed  from  a  turnip.  You  can  not  pour  anything  out 
of  an  empty  cup.  We  have  no  money  even  for  taxes  or  to 
be  confiscated. " 

While  the  Preston  girls  are  here,  my  dining-room  is 
given  up  to  them,  and  we  camp  on  the  landing,  with  our  one 
table  and  six  chairs.  Beds  are  made  on  the  dining-room 
floor.  Otherwise  there  is  no  furniture,  except  buckets  of 
water  and  bath-tubs  in  their  improvised  chamber.  Night 
and  day  this  landing  and  these  steps  are  crowded  with  the 
elite  of  the  Confederacy,  going  and  coming,  and  when  night 
comes,  or  rather,  bedtime,  more  beds  are  made  on  the  floor 
of  the  landing-place  for  the  war-worn  soldiers  to  rest  upon. 
The  whole  house  is  a  bivouac.  As  Pickens  said  of  South 
Carolina  in  1861,  we  are  "  an  armed  camp." 

My  husband  is  rarely  at  home.  I  sleep  with  the  girls, 
and  my  room  is  given  up  to  soldiers.  General  Lee's  few, 
but  undismayed,  his  remnant  of  an  army,  or  the  part  from 
the  South  and  West,  sad  and  crestfallen,  pass  through 
Chester.  Many  discomfited  heroes  find  their  way  up  these 
stairs.  They  say  Johnston  will  not  be  caught  as  Lee  was. 
He  can  retreat;  that  is  his  trade.  If  he  would  not  fight 
Sherman  in  the  hill  country  of  Georgia,  what  will  he  do 
but  retreat  in  the  plains  of  North  Carolina  with  Grant, 
Sherman,  and  Thomas  all  to  the  fore  ? 

We  are  to  stay  here.  Running  is  useless  now;  so  we 
mean  to  bide  a  Yankee  raid,  which  they  say  is  imminent. 
Why  fly?  They  are  everywhere,  these  Yankees,  like  red 
ants,  like  the  locusts  and  frogs  which  were  the  plagues  of 
Egypt. 

26  379 


March  91,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

The  plucky  way  in  which  our  men  keep  up  is  beyond 
praise.  There  is  no  howling,  and  our  poverty  is  made  a 
matter  of  laughing.  We  deride  our  own  penury.  Of  the 
country  we  try  not  to  speak  at  all. 

April  22d. — This  yellow  Confederate  quire  of  paper, 
my  journal,  blotted  by  entries,  has  been  buried  three  days 
with  the  silver  sugar-dish,  teapot,  milk-jug,  and  a  few 
spoons  and  forks  that  follow  my  fortunes  as  I  wander. 
With  these  valuables  was  Hood's  silver  cup,  which  was 
partly  crushed  when  he  was  wounded  at  Chickamauga. 

It  has  been  a  wild  three  days,  with  aides  galloping 
around  with  messages,  Yankees  hanging  over  us  like  a 
sword  of  Damocles.  We  have  been  in  queer  straits.  We 
sat  up  at  Mrs.  Bedon's  dressed,  without  once  going  to  bed 
for  forty-eight  hours,  and  we  were  aweary. 

Colonel  Cadwallader  Jones  came  with  a  despatch,  a 
sealed  secret  despatch.  It  was  for  General  Chesnut.  I 
opened  it.  Lincoln,  old  Abe  Lincoln,  has  been  killed,  mur 
dered,  and  Seward  wounded!  Why?  By  whom?  It  is 
simply  maddening,  all  this. 

I  sent  off  messenger  after  messenger  for  General  Ches 
nut.  I  have  not  the  faintest  idea  where  he  is,  but  I  know 
this  foul  murder  will  bring  upon  us  worse  miseries.  Mary 
Darby  says,  "  But  they  murdered  him  themselves.  No 
Confederates  are  in  Washington. "  "  But  if  they  see  fit  to 
accuse  us  of  instigating  it  1  ' '  li  Who  murdered  him  ?  Who 
knows?  "  "  See  if  they  don't  take  vengeance  on  us,  now 
that  we  are  ruined  and  can  not  repel  them  any  longer/' 

The  death  of  Lincoln  I  call  a  warning  to  tyrants.  He 
will  not  be  the  last  President  put  to  death  in  the  capital, 
though  he  is  the  first. 

Buck  never  submits  to  be  bored.  The  bores  came  to  tea 
at  Mrs.  Bedon's,  and  then  sat  and  talked,  so  prosy,  so 
wearisome  was  the  discourse,  so  endless  it  seemed,  that  we 
envied  Buck,  who  was  mooning  on  the  piazza.  She  rarely 
speaks  now. 

380 


AN  ARMISTICE  AGREED 
UPON!!! 

Lincoln  Assassinated  and 
Se ward  Mortally  Wound 
ed  in  Washington!! 

GBEENSBOBO,  April  19, 1865. 
GENERAL  ORDBB  No.  14. 

It  is  announced  to  the  Army  that  a  suspension  of  arms  has  been 
agreed  upon  pending  negotiations  between  the  two  Governments. 
During  its  continuance  the  two  armies  arc  to  occupy  their  pre 
sent  position. 

By  command  of  Qeneral  Johnston  : 
[SIGNED,]  ARCHER  ANDERSON, 

Liout.  Col.  and  A.  A.  O. 
Official  Copy :  ISAAC  HAYSE. 

WASHINGTON,  April  12,  1865. 
To  MAJOB-GENBBAL  SHEBUAN  : 

President.  Lincoln  was  murdered,  about  ten  o'clock  last  night,  in  hia 
private  box  at  Ford's  Theatre,  in  this  city,  by  an  assassin,  who  thai 
him  in  the  head  with  a  pistol  baU.  At  the  same  hour  Mr.  Se  ward's 
house  was  entered  by  another  assassin,  who  stabbed  the  Secretary  in 
several  places.  It  is  thought  he  may  possiby  recover,  but  his  son 
Fred  may  possibly  die  of  the  wounds  he  received. 

The  assassin  of  the  President  leaped  from  the  private  box,  bran 
dishing  his  dagger  and  exclaiming :  "  Sic  Semper  Tyrannis—ViR- 
oruiA  is  UEVESGED  !"  Mr.  Lincoln  fell  senseless  from  his  seat,  and 
continued  in  that  condition  until  22  minutes  past  10  o'clock  this 
morning,  at  which  time  he  breathed  his  last. 

Vice  President  Johnson  now  becomes  President,  and  with  take 
the  oath  of  office  and  assume  the  duties  to-day. 

[SIGNED,]  E.  M.  STANTON 

TO  THE  CITIZENS  OP  CHESTER. 

CHESTEB,  S.  C.,  April  22,  1865. 

FLOUR  and  MEAL  given  out  to  the  citizens  by  order  of  Major 
MITCHELL,  Chief  Commissary  of  South   Carolina,  to  be  returned 
when  called  for.  is  Ixuily  wanted  to  ration  General  Johnston's  army. 
Please  return  tho  same  at  once. 
E.  M.  GRAHAM.  Agent  Subsistence  Dep't. 

HEADQUARTERS  RESERVE  FORCES  S.  C. 
CHESTEBVILLE,  APRIL  20,  1865. 

The  ISriga  lier-Generil  Commanding  has  been  informed  that,  ID  View  of  th» 
approach  of  the  enemy,  »  Urge  qaiamy  of  supplies  of  Ttrioui  kinds  were  gi«e 
out  by  the  rarious  OoTaram:at  oifioera  at  this  past  to  the  ciliseas  of  the  place,  lie 
now  cally  upon,  and  earnestly  request*  all  ouitens,  who  miy  htrj  suit  stores  in 
their  yoaaeadion,  to  return  ihsm  to  the  several  Department]  to  which  they  belong. 
Ttie  stores  are  much  nee  IsJ  »t  this  time  fjr  tho  ujo  of  soUitrs,  passing  through  th« 
place,  and  for  the  sick  at  iho  Hospital. 
By  command  of  Brig.  Gen  Chesnul: 

M.  R   OI.ARK,  Mijor  an  I  A  A.  General. 

A  NEWSPAPER   EXTRA. 


LINCOLN'S   DEATH 


April  23d. — My  silver  wedding-day,  and  I  am  sure  the 
unhappiest  day  of  my  life.  Mr.  Portman  came  with  Chris 
topher  Hampton.  Portman  told  of  Miss  Kate  Hampton,  who 
is  perhaps  the  most  thoroughly  ladylike  person  in  the  world. 
When  he  told  her  that  Lee  had  surrendered  she  started 
up  from  her  seat  and  said,  "  That  is  a  lie."  "  Well,  Miss 
Hampton,  I  tell  the  tale  as  it  was  told  me.  I  can  do  no 
more. ' ' 

No  wonder  John  Chesnut  is  bitter.  They  say  Mulberry 
has  been  destroyed  by  a  corps  commanded  by  General  Lo 
gan.  Some  one  asked  coolly,  "  Will  General  Chesnut  be 
shot  as  a  soldier,  or  hung  as  a  senator?  "  "  I  am  not  of 
sufficient  consequence,"  answered  he.  "  They  will  stop 
short  of  brigadiers.  I  resigned  my  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate  weeks  before  there  was  any  secession.  So  I  can  not 
be  hung  as  a  senator.  But  after  all  it  is  only  a  choice  be 
tween  drumhead  court  martial,  short  shrift,  and  a  linger 
ing  death  at  home  from  starvation." 

These  negroes  are  unchanged.  The  shining  black  mask 
they  wear  does  not  show  a  ripple  of  change ;  they  are 
sphinxes.  Ellen  has  had  my  diamonds  to  keep  for  a  week 
or  so.  When  the  danger  was  over  she  handed  them  back  to 
me  with  as  little  apparent  interest  in  the  matter  as  if  they 
had  been  garden  peas. 

Mrs.  Huger  was  in  church  in  Richmond  when  the  news 
of  the  surrender  came.  Worshipers  were  in  the  midst  of 
the  communion  service.  Mr.  McFarland  was  called  out  to 
send  away  the  gold  from  his  bank.  Mr.  Minnegerode  's  Eng 
lish  grew  confused.  Then  the  President  was  summoned, 
and  distress  of  mind  showed  itself  in  every  face.  The  night 
before  one  of  General  Lee's  aides,  Walter  Taylor,  was  mar 
ried,  and  was  off  to  the  wars  immediately  after  the  cere 
mony. 

One  year  ago  we  left  Richmond.  The  Confederacy  has 
double-quicked  down  hill  since  then.  One  year  since  I 
stood  in  that  beautiful  Hollywood  by  little  Joe  Davis 's 

381 


March  21,  1865  CHESTER,    S.    C.  May  1,  1865 

grave.  Now  we  have  burned  towns,  deserted  plantations, 
sacked  villages.  ' '  You  seem  resolute  to  look  the  worst  in  the 
face,"  said  General  Chesnut,  wearily.  "  Yes,  poverty,  with 
no  future  and  no  hope."  li  But  no  slaves,  thank  God!  " 
cried  Buck.  "  We  would  be  the  sdbrn  of  the  world  if  the 
world  thought  of  us  at  all.  You  see,  we  are  exiles  and  pau 
pers."  "  Pile  on  the  agony."  "  How  does  our  famous 
captain,  the  great  Lee,  bear  the  Yankees'  galling  chain?  " 
I  asked.  '  *  He  knows  how  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience, ' ' 
answered  my  husband.  "  If  there  were  no  such  word  as 
subjugation,  no  debts,  no  poverty,  no  negro  mobs  backed  by 
Yankees ;  if  all  things  were  well,  you  would  shiver  and  feel 
benumbed,"  he  went  on,  pointing  at  me  in  an  oratorical 
attitude.  "  Your  sentence  is  pronounced— Camden  for 
life." 

May  1st. — In  Chester  still.  I  climb  these  steep  steps 
alone.  They  have  all  gone,  all  passed  by.  Buck  went  with 
Mr.  C.  Hampton  to  York.  Mary,  Mrs.  Huger,  and  Pinck- 
ney  took  flight  together.  One  day  just  before  they  began  to 
dissolve  in  air,  Captain  Gay  was  seated  at  the  table,  half 
way  between  me  on  the  top  step  and  John  in  the  window, 
with  his  legs  outside.  Said  some  one  to-day,  "  She  showed 
me  her  engagement  ring,  and  I  put  it  back  on  her  hand. 
She  is  engaged,  but  not  to  me. "  "  By  the  heaven  that  is 
above  us  all,  I  saw  you  kiss  her  hand."  "  That  I  deny." 
Captain  Gay  glared  in  angry  surprise,  and  insisted  that 
he  had  seen  it.  "  Sit  down,  Gay,"  said  the  cool  captain  in 
his  most  mournful  way.  '  *  You  see,  my  father  died  when  I 
was  a  baby,  and  my  grandfather  took  me  in  hand.  To  him 
I  owe  this  moral  maxim.  He  is  ninety  years  old,  a  wise  old 
man.  Now,  remember  my  grandfather's  teaching  forever- 
more — '  A  gentleman  must  not  kiss  and  tell.'  ' 

General  Preston  came  to  say  good-by.  He  will  take  his 
family  abroad  at  once.  Burnside,  in  New  Orleans,  owes 
him  some  money  and  will  pay  it.  ' l  There  will  be  no  more 
confiscation,  my  dear  madam, ' '  said  he ;  * '  they  must  see 
that  we  have  been  punished  enough. "  * '  They  do  not  think 

382 


A    STORY    OF    JOE    JOHNSTON 

so,  my  dear  general.     This  very  day  a  party  of  Federals 
passed  in  hot  pursuit  of  our  President. ' ' 

A  terrible  fire-eater,  one  of  the  few  men  left  in  the  world 
who  believe  we  have  a  right  divine,  being  white,  to  hold 
Africans,  who  are  black,  in  bonds  forever ;  he  is  six  feet  two ; 
an  athlete ;  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  animal  man ;  but  he 
has  never  been  under  fire;  his  place  in  the  service  was  a 
bomb-proof  office,  so-called.  With  a  face  red-hot  with  rage 
he  denounced  Jen0  Davis  and  Hood.  "  Come,  now,"  said 
Edward,  the  handsome,  "  men  who  could  fight  and  did  not, 
they  are  the  men  who  ruined  us.  We  wanted  soldiers.  If 
the  men  who  are  cursing  Jeff  Davis  now  had  fought  with 
Hood,  and  fought  as  Hood  fought,  we  'd  be  all  right  now. ' ' 

And  then  he  told  of  my  trouble  one  day  while  Hood  was 
here.  "  Just  such  a  fellow  as  you  came  up  on  this  little 
platform,  and  before  Mrs.  Chesnut  could  warn  him,  began 
to  heap  insults  on  Jeff  Davis  and  his  satrap,  Hood.  Mrs. 
Chesnut  held  up  her  hands.  '  Stop,  not  another  word. 
You  shall  not  abuse  my  friends  here!  Not  Jeff  Davis  be 
hind  his  back,  not  Hood  to  his  face,  for  he  is  in  that  room 
and  hears  you.'  :  Fancy  how  dumfounded  this  creature 
was. 

Mrs.  Huger  told  a  story  of  Joe  Johnston  in  his  callow 
days  before  he  was  famous.  After  an  illness  Johnston 's 
hair  all  fell  out;  not  a  hair  was  left  on  his  head,  which 
shone  like  a  fiery  cannon-ball.  One  of  the  gentlemen  from 
Africa  who  waited  at  table  sniggered  so  at  dinner  that 
he  was  ordered  out  by  the  grave  and  decorous  black  butler. 
General  Huger,  feeling  for  the  agonies  of  young  Africa,  as 
he  strove  to  stifle  his  mirth,  suggested  that  Joe  Johnston 
should  cover  his  head  with  his  handkerchief.  A  red  silk  one 
was  produced,  and  turban-shaped,  placed  on  his  head. 
That  completely  finished  the  gravity  of  the  butler,  who  fled 
in  helplessness.  His  guffaw  on  the  outside  of  the  door  be 
came  plainly  audible.  General  Huger  then  suggested,  as 
they  must  have  the  waiter  back,  or  the  dinner  could  not  go 
on,  that  Joe  should  eat  with  his  hat  on,  which  he  did. 

383 


XXI 

CAMDEN,    S.    C. 

May  2,  1865— August  2,  1865 

AMDEN,  S.  C.,  May  2,  1865.— Since  we  left  Chester 
nothing  but  solitude,  nothing  but  tall  blackened 
chimneys,  to  show  that  any  man  has  ever  trod  this 
road  before.  This  is  Sherman's  track.  It  is  hard  not  to 
curse  him.  I  wept  incessantly  at  first.  The  roses  of  the 
gardens  are  already  hiding  the  ruins.  My  husband  said  Na 
ture  is  a  wonderful  renovator.  He  tried  to  say  something 
else  and  then  I  shut  my  eyes  and  made  a  vow  that  if  we 
were  a  crushed  people,  crushed  by  weight,  I  would  never  be 
a  whimpering,  pining  slave. 

We  heard  loud  explosions  of  gunpowder  in  the  direction 
of  Camden.  Destroyers  were  at  it  there.  Met  William 
Walker,  whom  Mr.  Preston  left  in  charge  of  a  car-load  of 
his  valuables.  General  Preston  was  hardly  out  of  sight  be 
fore  poor  helpless  William  had  to  stand  by  and  see  the  car 
plundered.  "  My  dear  Missis!  they  have  cleaned  me  out, 
nothing  left, ' '  moaned  William  the  faithful.  We  have  nine 
armed  couriers  with  us.  Can  they  protect  us  ? 

Bade  adieu  to  the  staff  at  Chester.  No  general  ever  had 
so  remarkable  a  staff,  so  accomplished,  so  agreeable,  so  well 
bred,  and,  I  must  say,  so  handsome,  and  can  add  so  brave 
and  efficient. 

May  4th. — Home  again  at  Bloomsbury.  From  Chester 
to  Winnsboro  we  did  not  see  one  living  thing,  man,  woman, 
or  animal,  except  poor  William  trudging  home  after  his  sad 
disaster.  The  blooming  of  the  gardens  had  a  funereal  effect. 

384 


ROSES  ABOVE  THE  RUINS 


Nature  is  so  luxuriant  here,  she  soon  covers  the  ravages  of 
savages.  No  frost  has  occurred  since  the  seventh  of  March, 
which  accounts  for  the  wonderful  advance  in  vegetation. 
This  seems  providential  to  these  starving  people.  In  this 
climate  so  much  that  is  edible  can  be  grown  in  two  months. 

At  Winnsboro  we  stayed  at  Mr.  Robertson's.  There  we 
left  the  wagon  train.  Only  Mr.  Brisbane,  one  of  the  gener 
al  's  couriers,  came  with  us  on  escort  duty.  The  Robertsons 
were  very  kind  and  hospitable,  brimful  of  Yankee  anec 
dotes.  To  my  amazement  the  young  people  of  Winnsboro 
had  a  May-day  celebration  amid  the  smoking  ruins.  Irre 
pressible  is  youth. 

The  fidelity  of  the  negroes  is  the  principal  topic.  There 
seems  to  be  not  a  single  case  of  a  negro  who  betrayed  his 
master,  and  yet  they  showed  a  natural  and  exultant  joy  at 
being  free.  After  we  left  Winnsboro  negroes  were  seen  in 
the  fields  plowing  and  hoeing  corn,  just  as  in  antebellum 
times.  The  fields  in  that  respect  looked  quite  cheerful.  We 
did  not  pass  in  the  line  of  Sherman's  savages,  and  so  saw 
some  houses  standing. 

Mary  Kirkland  has  had  experience  with  the  Yankees. 
She  has  been  pronounced  the  most  beautiful  woman  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  has  been  spoiled  accordingly  in  all 
society.  When  the  Yankees  came,  Monroe,  their  negro  man 
servant,  told  her  to  stand  up  and  hold  two  of  her  children 
in  her  arms,  with  the  other  two  pressed  as  close  against  her 
knees  as  they  could  get.  Mammy  Selina  and  Lizzie  then 
stood  grimly  on  each  side  of  their  young  missis  and  her 
children.  For  four  mortal  hours  the  soldiers  surged 
through  the  rooms  of  the  house.  Sometimes  Mary  and  her 
children  were  roughly  jostled  against  the  wall,  but  Mammy 
and  Lizzie  were  stanch  supporters.  The  Yankee  soldiers 
taunted  .the  negro  women  for  their  foolishness  in  standing 
by  their  cruel  slave-owners,  and  taunted  Mary  with  being 
glad  of  the  protection  of  her  poor  ill-used  slaves.  Monroe 
meanwhile  had  one  leg  bandaged  and  pretended  to  be  lame, 

385 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

so  that  he  might  not  be  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  and  kept  mak 
ing  pathetic  appeals  to  Mary. 

1  (  Don 't  answer  them  back,  Miss  Mary, ' '  said  he.  ' '  Let 
'em  say  what  dey  want  to ;  don 't  answer  'em  back.  Don 't 
give  'em  any  chance  to  say  you  are  impudent  to  'em. ' ' 

One  man  said  to  her :  * '  Why  do  you  shrink  from  us  and 
avoid  us  so  ?  We  did  not  come  here  to  fight  for  negroes ;  we 
hate  them.  At  Port  Royal  I  saw  a  beautiful  white  woman 
driving  in  a  wagon  with  a  coal-black  negro  man.  If  she  had 
been  anything  to  me  I  would  have  shot  her  through  the 
heart."  "  Oh,  oh!  "  said  Lizzie,  "  that's  the  way  you  talk 
in  here.  I  '11  remember  that  when  you  begin  outside  to  beg 
me  to  run  away  with  you. ' ' 

Finally  poor  Aunt  Betsy,  Mary's  mother,  fainted  from 
pure  fright  and  exhaustion.  Mary  put  down  her  baby  and 
sprang  to  her  mother,  who  was  lying  limp  in  a  chair,  and 
fiercely  called  out,  "  Leave  this  room,  you  wretches!  Do 
you  mean  to  kill  my  mother  ?  She  is  ill ;  I  must  put  her  to 
bed. ' '  Without  a  word  they  all  slunk  out  ashamed.  ' '  If  I 
had  only  tried  that  hours  ago, ' '  she  now  said.  Outside  they 
remarked  that  she  was  '  *  an  insolent  rebel  huzzy,  who  thinks 
herself  too  good  to  speak  to  a  soldier  of  the  United  States, ' ' 
and  one  of  them  said :  ' '  Let  us  go  in  and  break  her  mouth. ' ' 
But  the  better  ones  held  the  more  outrageous  back.  Monroe 
slipped  in  again  and  said:  "  Missy,  for  God's  sake,  when 
dey  come  in  be  sociable  with  'em.  Dey  will  kill  you." 

"  Then  let  me  die." 

The  negro  soldiers  were  far  worse  than  the  white  ones. 

Mrs.  Bartow  drove  with  me  to  Mulberry.  On  one  side 
of  the  house  we  found  every  window  had  been  broken, 
every  bell  torn  down,  every  piece  of  furniture  destroyed, 
and  every  door  smashed  in.  But  the  other  side  was  intact. 
Maria  Whitaker  and  her  mother,  who  had  been  left  in 
charge,  explained  this  odd  state  of  things.  The  Yankees 
were  busy  as  beavers,  working  like  regular  carpenters,  de 
stroying  everything  when  their  general  came  in  and  stopped 

386 


AGAIN    AT    MULBERRY 


them.  He  told  them  it  was  a  sin  to  destroy  a  fine  old  house 
like  that,  whose  owner  was  over  ninety  years  old.  He  would 
not  have  had  it  done  for  the  world.  It  was  wanton  mischief. 
He  explained  to  Maria  that  soldiers  at  such  times  were  ex 
cited,  wild,  and  unruly.  They  carried  off  sacks  full  of  our 
books,  since  unfortunately  they  found  a  pile  of  empty  sacks 
in  the  garret.  Our  books,  our  letters,  our  papers  were  after 
ward  strewn  along  the  Charleston  road.  Somebody  found 
things  of  ours  as  far  away  as  Vance 's  Ferry. 

This  was  Potter's  raid.1  Sherman  took  only  our  horses. 
Potter's  raid  came  after  Johnston's  surrender,  and  ruined 
us  finally,  burning  our  mills  and  gins  and  a  hundred  bales 
of  cotton.  Indeed,  nothing  is  left  to  us  now  but  the  bare 
land,  and  the  debts  contracted  for  the  support  of  hundreds 
of  negroes  during  the  war. 

J.  H.  Boykin  was  at  home  at  the  time  to  look  after  his 
own  interests,  and  he,  with  John  de  Saussure,  has  saved 
the  cotton  on  their  estates,  with  the  mules  and  farming  uten 
sils  and  plenty  of  cotton  as  capital  to  begin  on  again.  The 
negroes  would  be  a  good  riddance.  A  hired  man  would  be  a 
good  deal  cheaper  than  a  man  whose  father  and  mother, 
wife  and  twelve  children  have  to  be  fed,  clothed,  housed, 
and  nursed,  their  taxes  paid,  and  their  doctor's  bills,  all 
for  his  half-done,  slovenly,  lazy  work.  For  years  we  have 
thought  negroes  a  nuisance  that  did  not  pay.  They  pretend 
exuberant  loyalty  to  us  now.  Only  one  man  of  Mr.  Ches- 
nut's  left  the  plantation  with  the  Yankees. 

When  the  Yankees  found  the  Western  troops  were  not  at 
Camden,  but  down  below  Swift  Creek,  like  sensible  folk 
they  came  up  the  other  way,  and  while  we  waited  at  Chester 


1  The  reference  appears  to.  be  to  General  Edward  E.  Potter,  a  native 
of  New  York  City,  who  died  in  1889.  General  Potter  entered  the  Federal 
service  early  in  the  war.  He  recruited  a  regiment  of  North  Carolina 
troops  and  engaged  in  operations  in  North  and  South  Carolina  and 
Eastern  Tennessee. 

387 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

for  marching  orders  we  were  quickly  ruined  after  the  sur 
render.  With  our  cotton  saved,  and  cotton  at  a  dollar  a 
pound,  we  might  be  in  comparatively  easy  circumstances. 
But  now  it  is  the  devil  to  pay,  and  no  pitch  hot.  Well,  all 
this  was  to  be. 

Godard  Bailey,  editor,  whose  prejudices  are  all  against 
us,  described  the  raids  to  me  in  this  wise :  They  were  regu 
larly  organized.  First  came  squads  who  demanded  arms 
and  whisky.  Then  came  the  rascals  who  hunted  for  silver, 
ransacked  the  ladies'  wardrobes  and  scared  women  and 
children  into  fits — at  least  those  who  could  be  scared. 
Some  of  these  women  could  not  be  scared.  Then  came 
some  smiling,  suave,  well-dressed  officers,  who  "  regretted 
it  all  so  much."  Outside  the  gate  officers,  men,  and  bum 
mers  divided  even,  share  and  share  alike,  the  piles  of 
plunder. 

When  we  crossed  the  river  coming  home,  the  ferry  man 
at  Chesnut's  Ferry  asked  for  his  fee.  Among  us  all  we 
could  not  muster  the  small  silver  coin  he  demanded.  There 
was  poverty  for  you.  Nor  did  a  stiver  appear  among  us 
until  Molly  was  hauled  home  from  Columbia,  where  she  was 
waging  war  with  Sheriff  Dent 's  family.  As  soon  as  her  foot 
touched  her  native  heath,  she  sent  to  hunt  up  the  cattle. 
Many  of  our  cows  were  found  in  the  swamp ;  like  Marion 's 
men  they  had  escaped  the  enemy.  Molly  sells  butter  for  us 
now  on  shares. 

Old  Cuffey,  head  gardener  at  Mulberry,  and  Yellow 
Abram,  his  assistant,  have  gone  on  in  the  even  tenor  of  their 
way.  Men  may  come  and  men  may  go,  but  they  dig  on  for 
ever.  And  they  say  they  mean  to  "  as  long  as  old  master 
is  alive."  We  have  green  peas,  asparagus,  lettuce,  spinach, 
new  potatoes,  and  strawberries  in  abundance — enough  for 
ourselves  and  plenty  to  give  away  to  refugees.  It  is  early 
in  May  and  yet  two  months  since  frost.  Surely  the  wind 
was  tempered  to  the  shorn  lamb  in  our  case. 

Johnny  went  over  to  see  Hampton.  His  cavalry  are  or- 

388 


STORIES    OF    RAIDS 


dered  to  reassemble  on  the  20th — a  little  farce  to  let  them 
selves  down  easily ;  they  know  it  is  all  over.  Johnny,  smil 
ing  serenely,  said,  '  *  The  thing  is  up  and  forever. ' ' 

Godard  Bailey  has  presence  of  mind.  Anne  Sabb  left  a 
gold  card-case,  which  was  a  terrible  oversight,  among  the 
cards  on  the  drawing-room  table.  When  the  Yankee  raid 
ers  saw  it  their  eyes  glistened.  Godard  whispered  to  her : 
*  *  Let  them  have  that  gilt  thing  and  slip  away  and  hide  the 
silver. "  ' '  No !  "  shouted  a  Yank,  '  *  you  don 't  fool  me 
that  way ;  here 's  your  old  brass  thing ;  don 't  you  stir ;  fork 
over  that  silver. ' '  And  so  they  deposited  the  gold  card-case 
in  Godard 's  hands,  and  stole  plated  spoons  and  forks,  which 
had  been  left  out  because  they  were  plated.  Mrs.  Beach 
says  two  officers  slept  at  her  house.  Each  had  a  pillow-case 
crammed  with  silver  and  jewelry — "  spoils  of  war,"  they 
called  it. 

Floride  Cantey  heard  an  old  negro  say  to  his  master: 
' '  When  you  all  had  de  power  you  was  good  to  me,  and  I  '11 
protect  you  now.  No  niggers  nor  Yankees  shall  tech  you. 
If  you  want  anything  call  for  Sambo.  I  mean,  call  for  Mr. 
Samuel ;  dat  my  name  now. ' ' 

May  10th. — A  letter  from  a  Pharisee  who  thanks  the 
Lord  she  is  not  as  other  women  are ;  she  need  not  pray,  as 
the  Scotch  parson  did,  for  a  good  conceit  of  herself.  She 
writes,  ' '  I  feel  that  I  will  not  be  ruined.  Come  what  may, 
God  will  provide  for  me. ' '  But  her  husband  had  strength 
ened  the  Lord 's  hands,  and  for  the  glory  of  God,  doubtless, 
invested  some  thousands  of  dollars  in  New  York,  where 
Confederate  moth  did  not  corrupt  nor  Yankee  bummers 
break  through  and  steal.  She  went  on  to  tell  us :  "I  have 
had  the  good  things  of  this  world,  and  I  have  enjoyed  them 
in  their  season.  But  I  only  held  them  as  steward  for  God. 
My  bread  has  been  cast  upon  the  waters  and  will  return 
to  me." 

E.  M.  Boykin  said  to-day:  "  We  had  a  right  to  strike 
for  our  independence,  and  we  did  strike  a  bitter  blow. 

389 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

They  must  be  proud  to  have  overcome  such  a  foe.  I  dare 
look  any  man  in  the  face.  There  is  no  humiliation  in  our 
position  after  such  a  struggle  as  we  made  for  freedom 
from  the  Yankees."  He  is  sanguine.  His  main  idea  is 
joy  that  he  has  no  negroes  to  support,  and  need  hire  only 
those  he  really  wants. 

Stephen  Elliott  told  us  that  Sherman  said  to  Joe 
Johnston,  "  Look  out  for  yourself.  This  agreement 
only  binds  the  military,  not  the  civil,  authorities. ' '  Is  our 
destruction  to  begin  anew?  For  a  few  weeks  we  have  had 
peace. 

Sally  Reynolds  told  a  short  story  of  a  negro  pet  of  Mrs. 
Kershaw 's.  The  little  negro  clung  to  Mrs.  Kershaw  and 
begged  her  to  save  him.  The  negro  mother,  stronger  than 
Mrs.  Kershaw,  tore  him  away  from  her.  Mrs.  Kershaw 
wept  bitterly.  Sally  said  she  saw  the  mother  chasing  the 
child  before  her  as  she  ran  after  the  Yankees,  whipping  him 
at  every  step.  The  child  yelled  like  mad,  a  small  rebel 
blackamoor. 

May  16th. — We  are  scattered  and  stunned,  the  remnant 
of  heart  left  alive  within  us  filled  with  brotherly  hate.  We 
sit  and  wait  until  the  drunken  tailor  who  rules  the  United 
States  of  America  issues  a  proclamation,  and  defines  our 
anomalous  position. 

Such  a  hue  and  cry,  but  whose  fault?  Everybody  is 
blamed  by  somebody  else.  The  dead  heroes  left  stiff  and 
stark  on  the  battle-field  escape,  blame  every  man  who  stayed 
at  home  and  did  not  fight.  I  will  not  stop  to  hear  excuses. 
There  is  not  one  word  against  those  who  stood  out  until  the 
bitter  end,  and  stacked  muskets  at  Appomattox. 

May  18th. — A  feeling  of  sadness  hovers  over  me  now, 
day  and  night,  which  no  words  of  mine  can  express.  There 
is  a  chance  for  plenty  of  character  study  in  this  Mulberry 
house,  if  one  only  had  the  heart  for  it.  Colonel  Chesnut, 
now  ninety-three,  blind  and  deaf,  is  apparently  as  strong  as 
ever,  and  certainly  as  resolute  of  will.  Partly  patriarch, 

390 


COL.   JAMES    CIIESNl'T,   Sll. 
From  a  Portrait  in  Oil  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 


COLONEL    CHESNUT    AT    NINETY-THREE 

partly  grand  seigneur,  this  old  man  is  of  a  species  that  we 
shall  see  no  more — the  last  of  a  race  of  lordly  planters  who 
ruled  this  Southern  world,  but  now  a  splendid  wreck.  His 
manners  are  unequaled  still,  but  underneath  this  smooth 
exterior  lies  the  grip  of  a  tyrant  whose  will  has  never  been 
crossed.  I  will  not  attempt  what  Lord  Byron  says  he  could 
not  do,  but  must  quote  again :  '  *  Everybody  knows  a  gen 
tleman  when  he  sees  him.  I  have  never  met  a  man  who 
could  describe  one. ' '  We  have  had  three  very  distinct  speci 
mens  of  the  genus  in  this  house — three  generations  of  gen 
tlemen,  each  utterly  different  from  the  other — father,  son, 
and  grandson. 

African  Scipio  walks  at  Colonel  Chesnut 's  side.  He  is 
six  feet  two,  a  black  Hercules,  and  as  gentle  as  a  dove  in  all 
his  dealings  with  the  blind  old  master,  who  boldly  strides 
forward,  striking  with  his  stick  to  feel  where  he  is  going. 
The  Yankees  left  Scipio  unmolested.  He  told  them  he  was 
absolutely  essential  to  his  old  master,  and  they  said,  "  If 
you  want  to  stay  so  bad,  he  must  have  been  good  to  you 
always. ' '  Scip  says  he  was  silent,  for  it  '  *  made  them  mad 
if  you  praised  your  master." 

Sometimes  this  old  man  will  stop  himself,  just  as  he  is 
going  off  in  a  fury,  because  they  try  to  prevent  his  at 
tempting  some  feat  impossible  in  his  condition  of  lost  fac 
ulties.  He  will  ask  gently,  ' '  I  hope  that  I  never  say  or  do 
anything  unseemly!  Sometimes  I  think  I  am  subject  to 
mental  aberrations. ' '  At  every  footfall  he  calls  out,  '  *  Who 
goes  there?  "  If  a  lady's  name  is  given  he  uncovers  and 
stands,  with  hat  off,  until  she  passes.  He  still  has  the  old- 
world  art  of  bowing  low  and  gracefully. 

Colonel  Chesnut  came  of  a  race  that  would  brook  no  in 
terference  with  their  own  sweet  will  by  man,  woman,  or 
devil.  But  then  such  manners  has  he,  they  would  clear  any 
man's  character,  if  it  needed  it.  Mrs.  Chesnut,  his  wife, 
used  to  tell  us  that  when  she  met  him  at  Princeton,  in  the 
nineties  of  the  eighteenth  century,  they  called  him  "  the 

391 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

Young  Prince."  He  and  Mr.  John  Taylor,1  of  Columbia, 
were  the  first  up-country  youths  whose  parents  were 
wealthy  enough  to  send  them  off  to  college. 

When  a  college  was  established  in  South  Carolina,  Colo 
nel  John  Chesnut,  the  father  of  the  aforesaid  Young  Prince, 
was  on  the  first  board  of  trustees.  Indeed,  I  may  say  that, 
since  the  Revolution  of  1776,  there  has  been  no  convocation 
of  the  notables  of  South  Carolina,  in  times  of  peace  and 
prosperity,  or  of  war  and  adversity,  in  which  a  representa 
tive  man  of  this  family  has  not  appeared.  The  estate  has 
been  kept  together  until  now.  Mrs.  Chesnut  said  she  drove 
down  from  Philadelphia  on  her  bridal  trip,  in  a  chariot  and 
four — a  cream-colored  chariot  with  outriders. 

They  have  a  saying  here — on  account  of  the  large  fami 
lies  with  which  people  are  usually  blessed,  and  the  subdivi 
sion  of  property  consequent  upon  that  fact,  besides  the  ten 
dency  of  one  generation  to  make  and  to  save,  and  the  next 
to  idle  and  to  squander,  that  there  are  rarely  more  than 
three  generations  between  shirt-sleeves  and  shirt-sleeves. 
But  these  Chesnuts  have  secured  four,  from  the  John  Ches 
nut  who  was  driven  out  from  his  father's  farm  in  Virginia 
by  the  French  and  Indians,  when  that  father  had  been 
killed  at  Fort  Duquesne,2  to  the  John  Chesnut  who  saunters 

i  ~~" 

1  John  Taylor  was  graduated  from  Princeton  in  1790  and  became  a 
planter  in  South  Carolina.     He  served  in  Congress  from  1806  to  1810, 
and  in  the  latter  year  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Thomas  Sumter.     In  1826  he  was 
chosen  Governor  of  South  Carolina.     He  died  in  1832. 

2  Fort  Duquesne  stood  at  the  junction  of  the  Monongahela  and  Alle- 
ghany  Rivers.     Captain  Trent,  acting  for  the  Ohio  Company,  with 
some  Virginia  militiamen,  began  to  build  this  fort  in  February,  1754. 
On  April  17th  of  the  same  year,  700  Canadians  and  French  forced  him 
to  abandon  the  work.     The  French  then  completed   the   fortress  and 
named   it  Fort   Duquesne.     The   unfortunate   expedition   of  General 
Braddock,  in  the  summer  of  1755,  was  an  attempt  to  retake  the  fort, 
Braddock's  defeat  occurring  eight  miles  east  of  it.     In  1758  General 
Forbes  marched  westward  from  Philadelphia  and  secured  possession 

392 


CHESNUTS   AND   KERSHAWS 


along  here  now,  the  very  perfection  of  a  lazy  gentleman, 
who  cares  not  to  move  unless  it  be  for  a  fight,  a  dance,  or  a 
fox-hunt. 

The  first  comer  of  that  name  to  this  State  was  a  lad 
when  he  arrived  after  leaving  his  land  in  Virginia;  and  be 
ing  without  fortune  otherwise,  he  went  into  Joseph  Ker 
shaw 's  grocery  shop  as  a  clerk,  and  the  Kershaws,  I  think,  so 
remember  that  fact  that  they  have  it  on  their  coat-of-arms. 
Our  Johnny,  as  he  was  driving  me  down  to  Mulberry  yes 
terday,  declared  himself  delighted  with  the  fact  that  the 
present  Joseph  Kershaw  had  so  distinguished  himself  in 
our  war,  that  they  might  let  the  shop  of  a  hundred  years 
ago  rest  for  a  while.  * '  Upon  my  soul, ' '  cried  the  cool  cap 
tain,  "  I  have  a  desire  to  go  in  there  and  look  at  the  Ker 
shaw  tombstones.  I  am  sure  they  have  put  it  on  their  mar 
ble  tablets  that  we  had  an  ancestor  one  day  a  hundred 
years  ago  who  was  a  clerk  in  their  shop."  This  clerk  be 
came  a  captain  in  the  Revolution. 

In  the  second  generation  the  shop  had  so  far  sunk  that 
the  John  Chesnut  of  that  day  refused  to  let  his  daughter 
marry  a  handsome,  dissipated  Kershaw,  and  she,  a  spoiled 
beauty,  who  could  not  endure  to  obey  orders  when  they  were 
disagreeable  to  her,  went  up  to  her  room  and  therein  re 
mained,  never  once  coming  out  of  it  for  forty  years.  Her 
father  let  her  have  her  own  way  in  that ;  he  provided  ser 
vants  to  wait  upon  her  and  every  conceivable  luxury  that 
she  desired,  but  neither  party  would  give  in. 

I  am,  too,  thankful  that  I  am  an  old  woman,  forty-two 
my  last  birthday.  There  is  so  little  life  left  in  me  now  to  be 
embittered  by  this  agony.  ' i  Nonsense !  I  am  a  pauper, ' ' 
says  my  husband,  "  and  I  am  as  smiling  and  as  comfortable 
as  ever  you  saw  me."  "  When  you  have  to  give  up  your 
horses?  How  then?  " 


of  the  place,  after  the  French,  alarmed  at  his  approach,  had  burned  it. 
Forbes  gave  it  the  name  of  Pittsburg. 

393 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,     S.     C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

May  21st. — They  say  Governor  Magrath  has  absconded, 
and  that  the  Yankees  have  said,  "  If  you  have  no  visible 
governor,  we  will  send  you  one. "  If  we  had  one  and  they 
found  him,  they  would  clap  him  in  prison  instanter. 

The  negroes  have  flocked  to  the  Yankee  squad  which  has 
recently  come,  but  they  were  snubbed,  the  rampant  freed- 
men.  "  Stay  where  you  are,"  say  the  Yanks.  "  We  have 
nothing  for  you."  And  they  sadly  "  peruse  "  their  way. 
Now  that  they  have  picked  up  that  word  "  peruse,"  they 
use  it  in  season  and  out.  When  we  met  Mrs.  Preston's 
William  we  asked,  ' '  Where  are  you  going  ?  "  "  Perusing 
my  way  to  Columbia,"  he  answered. 

When  the  Yanks  said  they  had  no  rations  for  idle  ne 
groes,  John  Walker  answered  mildly,  "  This  is  not  at  all 
what  we  expected."  The  colored  women,  dressed  in  their 
gaudiest  array,  carried  bouquets  to  the  Yankees,  making 
the  day  a  jubilee.  But  in  this  house  there  is  not  the  slightest 
change.  Every  negro  has  known  for  months  that  he  or  she 
was  free,  but  I  do  not  see  one  particle  of  change  in  their 
manner.  They  are,  perhaps,  more  circumspect,  polite,  and 
quiet,  but  that  is  all.  Otherwise  all  goes  on  in  antebellum 
statu  quo.  Every  day  I  expect  to  miss  some  familiar  face, 
but  so  far  have  been  disappointed. 

Mrs.  Huger  we  found  at  the  hotel  here,  and  we  brought 
her  to  Bloomsbury.  She  told  us  that  Jeff  Davis  was  travel 
ing  leisurely  with  his  wife  twelve  miles  a  day,  utterly  care 
less  whether  he  were  taken  prisoner  or  not,  and  that  General 
Hampton  had  been  paroled. 

Fighting  Dick  Anderson  and  Stephen  Elliott,  of  Fort 
Sumter  memory,  are  quite  ready  to  pray  for  Andy  Johnson, 
and  to  submit  to  the  powers  that  be.  Not  so  our  belligerent 
clergy.  * '  Pray  for  people  when  I  wish  they  were  dead  ?  ' ' 
cries  Rev.  Mr.  Trapier.  * '  No,  never !  I  will  pray  for  Pres 
ident  Davis  till  I  die.  I  will  do  it  to  my  last  gasp.  My  chief 
is  a  prisoner,  but  I  am  proud  of  him  still.  He  is  a  spectacle 
to  gods  and  men.  He  will  bear  himself  as  a  soldier,  a  pa- 

394 


DAVIS   AND   LINCOLN 


triot,  a  statesman,  a  Christian  gentleman.  He  is  the  mar 
tyr  of  our  cause. ' '  And  I  replied  with  my  tears. 

'  *  Look  here :  taken  in  woman 's  clothes  ?  ' '  asked  Mr. 
Trapier.  ' '  Kubbish,  stuff,  and  nonsense.  If  Jeff  Davis  has 
not  the  pluck  of  a  true  man,  then  there  is  no  courage  left  on 
this  earth.  If  he  does  not  die  game,  I  give  it  up.  Some 
thing,  you  see,  was  due  to  Lincoln  and  the  Scotch  cap  that 
he  hid  his  ugly  face  with,  in  that  express  car,  when  he 
rushed  through  Baltimore  in  the  night.  It  is  that  escapade 
of  their  man  Lincoln  that  set  them  on  making  up  the  wom 
an 's  clothes  story  about  Jeff  Davis." 

Mrs.  W.  drove  up.  She,  too,  is  off  for  New  York,  to  sell 
four  hundred  bales  of  cotton  and  a  square,  or  something, 
which  pays  tremendously  in  the  Central  Park  region,  and 
to  capture  and  bring  home  her  belle  fille,  who  remained 
North  during  the  war.  She  knocked  at  my  door.  The  day 
was  barely  dawning.  I  was  in  bed,  and  as  I  sprang  up, 
discovered  that  my  old  Confederate  night-gown  had  to  be 
managed,  it  was  so  full  of  rents.  I  am  afraid  I  gave  undue 
attention  to  the  sad  condition  of  my  gown,  but  could  no 
where  see  a  shawl  to  drape  my  figure. 

She  was  very  kind.  In  case  my  husband  was  arrested 
and  needed  funds,  she  offered  me  some  "  British  securi 
ties  "  and  bonds.  We  were  very  grateful,  but  we  did 
not  accept  the  loan  of  money,  which  would  have  been 
almost  the  same  as  a  gift,  so  slim  was  our  chance  of  repay 
ing  it.  But  it  was  a  generous  thought  on  her  part ;  I  own 
that. 

Went  to  our  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  yesterday.  Saw 
no  change;  not  a  soul  was  absent  from  his  or  her  post.  I 
said,  "  Good  colored  folks,  when  are  you  going  to  kick  off 
the  traces  and  be  free  ?  '  In  their  furious,  emotional  way, 
they  swore  devotion  to  us  all  to  their  dying  day.  Just  the 
same,  the  minute  they  see  an  opening  to  better  themselves 
they  will  move  on.  William,  my  husband's  foster-brother, 
came  up.  i  i  Well,  William,  what  do  you  want  ?  ' '  asked  my 
2?  395 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

husband.  "  Only  to  look  at  you,  marster;  it  does  me 
good." 

June  1st. — The  New  York  Herald  quotes  General  Sher 
man  as  saying,  "  Columbia  was  burned  by  Hampton's 
sheer  stupidity. ' '  But  then  wh*o  burned  everything  on  the 
way  in  Sherman's  march  to  Columbia,  and  in  the  line  of 
march  Sherman  took  after  leaving  Columbia  ?  We  came,  for 
three  days  of  travel,  over  a  road  that  had  been  laid  bare  by 
Sherman's  torches.  Nothing  but  smoking  ruins  was  left  in 
Sherman's  track.  That  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes.  No  liv 
ing  thing  was  left,  no  house  for  man  or  beast.  They  who 
burned  the  countryside  for  a  belt  of  forty  miles,  did  they 
not  also  burn  the  town?  To  charge  that  to  "  Hampton's 
stupidity  "  is  merely  an  afterthought.  This  Herald  an 
nounces  that  Jeff  Davis  will  be  hanged  at  once,  not  so  much 
for  treason  as  for  his  assassination  of  Lincoln.  "  Stan- 
ton,"  the  Herald  says,  "  has  all  the  papers  in  his  hands  to 
convict  him." 

The  Yankees  here  say,  '  *  The  black  man  must  go  as  the 
red  man  has  gone ;  this  is  a  white  man 's  country. ' '  The  ne 
groes  want  to  run  with  the  hare,  but  hunt  with  the  hounds. 
They  are  charming  in  their  professions  to  us,  but  declare 
that  they  are  to  be  paid  by  these  blessed  Yankees  in  lands 
and  mules  for  having  been  slaves.  They  were  so  faithful 
to  us  during  the  war,  why  should  the  Yankees  reward  them, 
to  which  the  only  reply  is  that  it  would  be  by  way  of  pun 
ishing  rebels. 

Mrs.  Adger  1  saw  a  Yankee  soldier  strike  a  woman,  and 
she  prayed  God  to  take  him  in  hand  according  to  his  deed. 

Elizabeth  K.  Adger,  wife  of  the  Rev.  John  B.  Adger,  D.D.,  of 
Charleston,  a  distinguished  Presbyterian  divine,  at  one  time  a  mission 
ary  to  Smyrna  where  he  translated  the  Bible  into  the  Armenian  tongue. 
He  was  afterward  and  before  the  war  a  professor  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Columbia.  His  wife  was  a  woman  of  unusual  judgment 
and  intelligence,  sharing  her  husband's  many  hardships  and  notable 
experiences  in  the  East. 

396 


RUIN    IN   SHERMAN'S   TRACK 


The  soldier  laughed  in  her  face,  swaggered  off,  stumbled 
down  the  steps,  and  then  his  revolver  went  off  by  the  con 
cussion  and  shot  him  dead. 

The  black  ball  is  in  motion.  Mrs.  de  Saussure's  cook 
shook  the  dust  off  her  feet  and  departed  from  her  kitchen 
to-day — free,  she  said.  The  washerwoman  is  packing 
to  go. 

Scipio  African  us,  the  Colonel's  body-servant,  is  a  sol 
dierly  looking  black  creature,  fit  to  have  delighted  the  eyes 
of  old  Frederick  William  of  Prussia,  who  liked  giants.  We 
asked  him  how  the  Yankees  came  to  leave  him.  "  Oh,  I 
told  them  marster  couldn  't  do  without  me  nohow ;  and  then 
I  carried  them  some  nice  hams  that  they  never  could  have 
found,  they  were  hid  so  good. ' ' 

Eben  dressed  himself  in  his  best  and  went  at  a  run  to 
meet  his  Yankee  deliverers — so  he  said.  At  the  gate  he  met 
a  squad  coming  in.  He  had  adorned  himself  with  his  watch 
and  chain,  like  the  cordage  of  a  ship,  with  a  handful  of 
gaudy  seals.  He  knew  the  Yankees  came  to  rob  white  peo 
ple,  but  he  thought  they  came  to  save  niggers.  ' '  Hand  over 
that  watch!  "  they  said.  Minus  his  fine  watch  and  chain, 
Eben  returned  a  sadder  and  a  wiser  man.  He  was  soon  in 
his  shirt-sleeves,  whistling  at  his  knife-board.  "  Why? 
You  here?  AVhy  did  you  come  back  so  soon?  "  he  was 
asked.  ;'  Well,  I  thought  may  be  I  better  stay  with  ole 
marster  that  give  me  the  watch,  and  not  go  with  them  that 
stole  it."  The  watch  was  the  pride  of  his  life.  The  iron 
had  entered  his  soul. 

Went  up  to  my  old  house,  "  Kamschatka."  The  Tra- 
piers  live  there^now.  In  those  drawing-rooms  where  the 
children  played  Puss  in  Boots,  where  we  have  so  often 
danced  and  sung,  but  never  prayed  before,  Mr.  Trapier 
held  his  prayer-meeting.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  did  as  much 
weeping  or  as  bitter  in  the  same  space  of  time.  I  let  my 
self  go;  it  did  me  good.  I  cried  with  a  will.  He  prayed 
that  we  might  have  strength  to  stand  up  and  bear  our  bitter 

397 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

disappointment,  to  look  on  our  ruined  homes  and  our  deso 
lated  country  and  be  strong.  And  he  prayed  for  the  man 
"  we  elected  to  be  our  ruler  and  guide."  We  knew  that 
they  had  put  him  in  a  dungeon  and  in  chains.1  Men  watch 
him  day  and  night.  By  orders  of  Andy,  the  bloody-minded 
tailor,  nobody  above  the  rank  of  colonel  can  take  the  benefit 
of  the  amnesty  oath,  nobody  who  owns  over  twenty  thou 
sand  dollars,  or  who  has  assisted  the  Confederates.  And 
now,  ye  rich  men,  howl,  for  your  misery  has  come  upon  you. 
You  are  beyond  the  outlaw,  camping  outside.  Howell  Cobb 
and  R.  M.  T.  Hunter  have  been  arrested.  Our  turn  will 
come  next,  maybe.  A  Damocles  sword  hanging  over  a 
house  does  not  conduce  to  a  pleasant  life. 

June  12th. — Andy,  made  lord  of  all  by  the  madman, 
Booth,  says,  "  Destruction  onty  to  the  wealthy  classes." 
Better  teach  the  negroes  to  stand  alone  before  you  break  up 
all  they  leaned  on,  0  Yankees !  After  all,  the  number  who 
possess  over  $20,000  are  very  few. 

Andy  has  shattered  some  fond  hopes.  He  denounces 
Northern  men  who  came  South  to  espouse  our  cause.  They 
may  not  take  the  life-giving  oath.  My  husband  will  remain 
quietly  at  home.  He  has  done  nothing  that  he  had  not  a 
right  to  do,  nor  anything  that  he  is  ashamed  of.  He  will  not 
fly  from  his  country,  nor  hide  anywhere  in  it.  These  are  his 
words.  He  has  a  huge  volume  of  Macaulay,  which  seems  to 
absorb  him.  Slily  I  slipped  Silvio  Pellico  in  his  way.  He 
looked  at  the  title  and  moved  it  aside.  "  Oh,"  said  I,  "  I 
only  wanted  you  to  refresh  your  memory  as  to  a  prisoner's 
life  and  what  a  despotism  can  do  to  make  its  captives 
happy!  ': 

1  Mr.  Davis,  while  encamped  near  Irwinsville,  Ga.,  had  been  cap 
tured  on  May  10th  by  a  body  of  Federal  cavalry  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Pritchard.  He  was  taken  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  confined 
there  for  two  years,  his  release  being  effected  on  May  13,  1867,  when  he 
was  admitted  to  bail  in  the  sum  of  $100,000,  the  first  name  on  his  bail- 
bond  being  that  of  Horace  Greeley. 

398 


CUT    OFF    FROM    THE    WORLD 

Two  weddings— in  Camden,  Ellen  Douglas  Ancrum  to 
Mr.  Lee,  engineer  and  architect,  a  clever  man,  which  is  the 
best  investment  now.  In  Columbia,  Sally  Hampton  and 
John  Cheves  Haskell,  the  bridegroom,  a  brave,  one-armed 
soldier. 

A  wedding  to  be.  Lou  McCord's.  And  Mrs.  McCord 
is  going  about  frantically,  looking  for  eggs  "  to  mix  and 
make  into  wedding-cake,"  and  finding  none.  She  now 
drives  the  funniest  little  one-mule  vehicle. 


I  have  been  ill  since  I  last  wrote  in  this  journal.  Sere 
na's  letter  came.  She  says  they  have  been  visited  by  bush 
whackers,  the  roughs  that  always  follow  in  the  wake  of  an 
army.  My  sister  Kate  they  forced  back  against  the  wall. 
She  had  Katie,  the  baby,  in  her  arms,  and  Miller,  the  brave 
boy,  clung  to  his  mother,  though  he  could  do  no  more. 
They  tried  to  pour  brandy  down  her  throat.  They  knocked 
Mary  down  with  the  butt  end  of  a  pistol,  and  Serena  they 
struck  with  an  open  hand,  leaving  the  mark  on  her  cheek 
for  weeks. 

Mr.  Christopher  Hampton  says  in  New  York  people 
have  been  simply  intoxicated  with  the  fumes  of  their  own 
glory.  Military  prowess  is  a  new  wrinkle  of  delight  to 
them.  They  are  mad  with  pride  that,  ten  to  one,  they 
could,  after  five  years '  hard  fighting,  prevail  over  us,  handi 
capped,  as  we  were,  with  a  majority  of  aliens,  quasi  foes, 
and  negro  slaves  whom  they  tried  to  seduce,  shut  up  with  us. 
They  pay  us  the  kind  of  respectful  fear  the  British  meted 
out  to  Napoleon  when  they  sent  him  off  with  Sir  Hudson 
Lowe  to  St.  Helena,  the  lone  rock  by  the  sea,  to  eat  his 
heart  out  where  he  could  not  alarm  them  more. 

Of  course,  the  Yankees  know  and  say  they  were  too  many 
for  us,  and  yet  they  would  all  the  same  prefer  not  to  try  us 
again.  Would  Wellington  be  willing  to  take  the  chances  of 
Waterloo  once  more  with  Grouchy,  Bliicher,  and  all  that 

399 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

left  to  haphazard  ?  Wigfall  said  to  old  Cameron  *  in  1861, 
"  Then  you  will  a  sutler  be,  and  profit  shall  accrue." 
Christopher  Hampton  says  that  in  some  inscrutable  way  in 
the  world  North,  everybody  ' '  has  contrived  to  amass  fabu 
lous  wealth  by  this  war. ' ' 

There  are  two  classes  of  vociferous  sufferers  in  this  com 
munity:  1.  Those  who  say,  "  If  people  would  only  pay  me 
what  they  owe  me !  ' !  2.  Those  who  say,  * '  If  people  would 
only  let  me  alone.  I  can  not  pay  them.  I  could  stand  it  if 
I  had  anything  with  which  to  pay  debts. ' ' 

Now  we  belong  to  both  classes.  Heavens !  the  sums  peo 
ple  owe  us  and  will  not,  or  can  not,  pay,  would  settle  all  our 
debts  ten  times  over  and  leave  us  in  easy  circumstances  for 
life.  But  they  will  not  pay.  How  can  they? 

We  are  shut  in  here,  turned  with  our  faces  to  a  dead 
wall.  No  mails.  A  letter  is  sometimes  brought  by  a  man  on 
horseback,  traveling  through  the  wilderness  made  by  Sher 
man.  All  railroads  have  been  destroyed  and  the  bridges 
are  gone.  We  are  cut  off  from  the  world,  here  to  eat  out  our 
hearts.  Yet  from  my  window  I  look  out  on  many  a  gallant 
youth  and  maiden  fair.  The  street  is  crowded  and  it  is 
a  gay  sight.  Camden  is  thronged  with  refugees  from  the 
low  country,  and  here  they  disport  themselves.  They  call 
the  walk  in  front  of  Bloomsbury  "  the  Boulevard." 

H.  Lang  tells  us  that  poor  Sandhill  Milly  Trimlin  is 
dead,  and  that  as  a  witch  she  had  been  denied  Christian 
burial.  Three  times  she  was  buried  in  consecrated  ground 
in  different  churchyards,  and  three  times  she  was  dug  up 
by  a  superstitious  horde,  who  put  her  out  of  their  holy 
ground.  Where  her  poor,  old,  ill-used  bones  are  lying  now 
I  do  not  know.  I  hope  her  soul  is  faring  better  than  her 
body.  She  was  a  good,  kind  creature.  Why  supposed  to  be 
a  witch?  That  H.  Lang  could  not  elucidate. 

1  Simon  Cameron  became  Secretary  of  War  in  Lincoln's  Administra 
tion,  on  March  4,  1861.  On  January  11,  1862,  he  resigned  and  was 
made  Minister  to  Russia. 

400 


SANDHILL   WOMEN 


Everybody  in  our  walk  of  life  gave  Milly  a  helping 
hand.  She  was  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  Sandhill  ' '  tack- 
ey  ' '  race,  sometimes  called  * '  country  crackers. ' '  Her  skin 
was  yellow  and  leathery,  even  the  whites  of  her  eyes  were 
bilious  in  color.  She  was  stumpy,  strong,  and  lean,  hard- 
featured,  horny-fisted.  Never  were  people  so  aided  in 
every  way  as  these  Sandhillers.  Why  do  they  remain 
Sandhillers  from  generation  to  generation  ?  Why  should 
Milly  never  have  bettered  her  condition? 

My  grandmother  lent  a  helping  hand  to  her  grandmoth 
er.  My  mother  did  her  best  for  her  mother,  and  I  am  sure 
the  so-called  witch  could  never  complain  of  me.  As  long  as 
I  can  remember,  gangs  of  these  Sandhill  women  traipsed  in 
with  baskets  to  be  filled  by  charity,  ready  to  carry  away 
anything  they  could  get.  All  are  made  on  the  same  pattern, 
more  or  less  alike.  They  were  treated  as  friends  and  neigh 
bors,  not  as  beggars.  They  were  asked  in  to  take  seats  by 
the  fire,  and  there  they  sat  for  hours,  stony-eyed,  silent, 
wearing  out  human  endurance  and  politeness.  But  their 
husbands  and  sons,  whom  we  never  saw,  were  citizens  and 
voters !  When  patience  was  at  its  last  ebb,  they  would  open 
their  mouths  and  loudly  demand  whatever  they  had  come 
to  seek. 

One  called  Judy  Bradly,  a  one-eyed  virago,  who  played 
the  fiddle  at  all  the  Sandhill  dances  and  fandangoes,  made 
a  deep  impression  on  my  youthful  mind.  Her  list  of  re 
quests  was  always  rather  long,  and  once  my  grandmother 
grew  restive  and  actually  hesitated.  *  Woman,  do  you 
mean  to  let  me  starve?  "  she  cried  furiously.  ]Vly  grand 
mother  then  attempted  a  meek  lecture  as  to  the  duty  of 
earning  one's  bread.  Judy  squared  her  arms  akimbo  and 
answered, li  And  pray,  who  made  you  a  judge  of  the  world? 
Lord,  Lord,  if  I  had  'er  knowed  I  had  ter  stand  all  this 
jaw,  I  wouldn't  a  took  your  ole  things,"  but  she  did  take 
them  and  came  afterward  again  and  again. 

June  27th. — An  awful  story  from  Suniter.  An  old  gen- 

401 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

tleman,  who  thought  his  son  dead  or  in  a  Yankee  prison, 
heard  some  one  try  the  front  door.  It  was  about  midnight, 
and  these  are  squally  times.  He  called  out,  "  What  is 
that?  "  There  came  no  answer.  After  a  while  he  heard 
some  one  trying  to  open  a  window  and  he  fired.  The  house 
was  shaken  by  a  fall.  Then,  after  a  long  time  of  dead 
silence,  he  went  round  the  house  to  see  if  his  shot  had  done 
any  harm,  and  found  his  only  son  bathed  in  his  own  blood 
on  his  father's  door-step.  The  son  was  just  back  from  a 
Yankee  prison — one  of  his  companions  said — and  had  been 
made  deaf  by  cold  and  exposure.  He  did  not  hear  his 
father  hail  him.  He  had  tried  to  get  into  the  house  in 
the  same  old  way  he  used  to  employ  when  a  boy. 

My  sister-in-law  in  tears  of  rage  and  despair,  her  ser 
vants  all  gone  to  "  a  big  meeting  at  Mulberry/'  though 
she  had  made  every  appeal  against  their  going.  "  Send 
them  adrift,"  some  one  said,  "  they  do  not  obey  you,  or 
serve  you;  they  only  live  on  you."  It  would  break  her 
heart  to  part  with  one  of  them.  But  that  sort  of  thing 
will  soon  right  itself.  They  will  go  off  to  better  them 
selves — we  have  only  to  cease  paying  wages — and  that  is 
easy,  for  we  have  no  money. 

July  4th. — Saturday  I  was  in  bed  with  one  of  my  worst 
headaches.  Occasionally  there  would  come  a  sob  and  I 
thought  of  my  sister  insulted  and  my  little  sweet  Williams. 
Another  of  my  beautiful  Columbia  quartette  had  rough  ex 
periences.  A  raider  asked  the  plucky  little  girl,  Lizzie  Ham 
ilton,  for  a  ring  which  she  wore.  ' '  You  shall  not  have  it, ' ' 
she  said.  The  man  put  a  pistol  to  her  head,  saying,  * '  Take 
it  off,  hand  it  to  me,  or  I  will  blow  your  brains  out." 
"  Blow  away,"  said  she.  The  man  laughed  and  put  down 
his  pistol,  remarking,  "  Yota  knew  I  would  not  hurt  you." 
"  Of  course,  I  knew  you  dared  not  shoot  me.  Even  Sher 
man  would  not  stand  that." 

There  was  talk  of  the  negroes  where  the  Yankees  had 
been — negroes  who  flocked  to  them  and  showed  them  where 

402 


WHY    WRITE    MORE? 


silver  aud  valuables  had  been  hid  by  the  white  people. 
Ladies '-maids  dressed  themselves  in  their  mistresses'  gowns 
before  the  owners'  faces  and  walked  ofi'.  Now,  before  this 
every  one  had  told  me  how  kind,  faithful,  and  considerate 
the  negroes  had  proven.  I  am  sure,  after  hearing  these 
tales,  the  fidelity  of  my  own  servants  shines  out  brilliantly. 
1  had  taken  their  conduct  too  much  as  a  matter  of  course. 
In  the  afternoon  I  had  some  business  on  our  place,  the  Her 
mitage.  John  drove  me  down.  Our  people  were  all  at 
home,  quiet,  orderly,  respectful,  and  at  their  usual  work. 
In  point  of  fact  things  looked  unchanged.  There  was  noth 
ing  to  show  that  any  one  of  them  had  even  seen  the  Yan 
kees,  or  knew  that  there  was  one  in  existence. 

July  26th. — I  do  not  write  often  now,  not  for  want  of 
something  to  say,  but  from  a  loathing  of  all  I  see  and  hear, 
and  why  dwell  upon  those  things? 

Colonel  Chesnut,  poor  old  man,  is  worse — grows  more 
restless.  He  seems  to  be  wild  with  "  homesickness."  He 
wants  to  be  at  Mulberry.  When  there  he  can  not  see  the 
mighty  giants  of  the  forest,  the  huge,  old,  wide-spreading 
oaks,  but  he  says  he  feels  that  he  is  there  so  soon  as  he  hears 
the  carriage  rattling  across  the  bridge  at  the  Beaver  Dam. 

I  am  reading  French  with  Johnny — anything  to  keep 
him  quiet.  We  gave  a  dinner  to  his  company,  the  small 
remnant  of  them,  at  Mulberry  house.  About  twenty  idle 
negroes,  trained  servants,  came  without  leave  or  license  and 
assisted.  So  there  was  no  expense.  They  gave  their  time 
and  labor  for  a  good  day 's  feeding.  I  think  they  love  to  be 
at  the  old  place. 

Then  I  went  up  to  nurse  Kate  Withers.  That  lovely  girl, 
barely  eighteen,  died  of  typhoid  fever.  Tanny  wanted  his 
sweet  little  sister  to  have  a  dress  for  Mary  Boykin's  wed 
ding,  where  she  was  to  be  one  of  the  bridesmaids.  So  Tanny 
took  his  horses,  rode  one,  and  led  the  other  thirty  miles  in 
the  broiling  sun  to  Columbia,  where  he  sold  the  led  horse 
and  came  back  with  a  roll  of  Swiss  muslin.  As  he  entered 

403 


May  2,  1865  CAMDEN,    S.    C.  Aug.  2,  1865 

the  door,  he  saw  Kate  lying  there  dying.  She  died  praying 
that  she  might  die.  She  was  weary  of  earth  and  wanted  to 
be  at  peace.  I  saw  her  die  and  saw  her  put  in  her  coffin. 
No  words  of  mine  can  tell  how  unhappy  I  am.  Six  young 
soldiers,  her  friends,  were  her*  pall-bearers.  As  they 
marched  out  with  that  burden  sad  were  their  faces. 

Princess  Bright  Eyes  writes:  "  Our  soldier  boys  re 
turned,  want  us  to  continue  our  weekly  dances."  Another 
maiden  fair  indites:  "  Here  we  have  a  Yankee  garrison. 
We  are  told  the  officers  find  this  the  dullest  place  they  were 
ever  in.  They  want  the  ladies  to  get  up  some  amusement 
for  them.  They  also  want  to  get  into  society. ' ' 

From  Isabella  in  Columbia:  "  General  Hampton  is 
home  again.  He  looks  crushed.  How  can  he  be  otherwise  ? 
His  beautiful  home  is  in  ruins,  and  ever  present  with  him 
must  be  the  memory  of  the  death  tragedy  which  closed  for 
ever  the  eyes  of  his  glorious  boy,  Preston!  Now!  there 
strikes  up  a  serenade  to  General  Ames,  the  Yankee  com 
mander,  by  a  military  band,  of  course.  .  .  .  Your  last 
letters  have  been  of  the  meagerest.  What  is  the  matter  ?  ' ' 


August  2d. — Dr.  Boykin  and  John  Witherspoon  were 
talking  of  a  nation  in  mourning,  of  blood  poured  out  like 
rain  on  the  battle-fields — for  what?  "  Never  let  me  hear 
that  the  blood  of  the  brave  has  been  shed  in  vain!  No; 
it  sends  a  cry  down  through  all  time." 


404 


INDEX 


ADAMS,  JAMES  H.,  26. 
Adger,  Mrs.  John  B.,  396. 

Aiken,  Gov.  William,  his  style  of 
living,  253. 

Aiken,  Miss,  her  wedding,  240- 
241. 

Alabama,  the,  surrender  of,  314. 

Alabama  Convention,  the,  15. 

Alexandria,  Va.,  Ellsworth  killed 
at,  58. 

Allan,  Mrs.  Scotch,  258. 

Allston,  Ben,  his  duel,  66;  a  call 
from,  73. 

Allston,  Col.,  234. 

Allston,  Washington,  46. 

Anderson,  Gen.  Richard,  49,  225. 

Anderson,  Major  Robert,  5;  his 
mistake,  34;  fired  on,  in  Fort 
Sumter,  35;  when  the  fort  sur 
rendered,  39;  his  flagstaff,  43; 
his  account  of  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter,  48;  offered  a  regi 
ment,  50,  119. 

Antietam,  battle  of,  213. 

Archer,  Capt.  Tom,  a  call  from, 
113;  his  comments  on  Hood, 
318;  his  death,  343. 

Athens,  Ga.,  the  raid  at,  322. 

Atlanta,  battle  of,  326. 

Auze*,  Mrs.  — ,  her  troubled  life, 
179. 

BAILEY,  GODARD,  388,  389. 
Baldwin,  Col.  — ,  84. 
Baltimore,  Seventh  Regiment  in, 

41 ;  in  a  blaze,  47. 
Barker,  Theodore,  112. 


Barnwell,  Edward,  316. 

Barn  well,  Mrs.  Edward,  208;  and 
her  boy,  253-254. 

Barnwell,  Mary,  194,  316. 

Barnwell,  Rev.  Robert,  estab 
lishes  a  hospital,  83;  back  in 
the  hospital,  172;  sent  for  to 
officiate  at  a  marriage,  185,  194; 
his  death,  238. 

Barnwell,  Mrs.  Robert,  her  death, 
239. 

Barnwell,  Hon.  Robert  W.,  sketch 
of,  10,  47;  on  Fort  Sumter, 
50,  57,  77;  at  dinner  with,  98; 
and  the  opposition  to  Mr.  Davis, 
104;  on  fame,  106;  on  democ 
racies,  110,  160;  as  to  Gen. 
Chesnut,  163. 

Barren,  Commodore  Samuel,  101 ; 
an  anecdote  of,  when  a  middy, 
120-122;  a  prisoner,  124. 

Bartow,  Col.  —  2;  and  his  wife, 
71;  killed  at  Bull  Run,  87; 
eulogized  in  Congress,  90. 

Bartow,  Mrs.  — ,  hears  of  her 
husband's  death,  87-88;  her 
husband's  funeral,  88;  a  call  on, 
146,  162;  in  one  of  the  de 
partments,  166;  her  story  of 
Miss  Toombs,  193,  199,  204; 
goes  to  Mulberry,  386. 

Beauregard,  Gen.  P.  G.  T.,  28; 
a  demigod,  31;  in  council  with 
the  Governor,  33,  34;  leaves 
Montgomery,  50;  at  Norfolk, 
58;  his  report  of  the  capture  of 
Fort  Sumter,  62;  and  the  name 


405 


INDEX 


Bull  Run,  63;  faith  in  him, 
77;  a  horse  for,  80;  in  Rich 
mond,  83-84;  his  army  in  want 
of  food,  97;  not  properly  sup 
ported,  99;  half  Frenchman, 
102;  letters  from,  107,  131;  at 
Columbus,  Miss.,  139;  flanked 
at  Nashville,  156;  and  Shiloh, 
163;  at  Huntsville,  165;  fight 
ing  his  way,  174;  retreating, 
175;  evacuates  Corinth,  178, 
in  disfavor,  183;  and  Whiting, 
307. 

Bedon,  Josiah,  369. 

Bedon,  Mrs.  — ,  369. 

Benjamin,  Judah  P.,  278,  287. 

Berrien,  Dr.  — ,  100,  193. 

Berrien,  Judge,  166. 

Bibb,  Judge,  9. 

Bierne,  Bettie,  her  admirers,  232, 
234;  her  wedding,  235. 

Big  Bethel,  battle  of,  81 ;  Magru- 
der  at,  196. 

Binney,  Horace,  his  offer  to  Lin 
coln,  64;  quoted,  128,  311. 

Blair,  Rochelle,  21. 

Blake,  Daniel,  214. 

Blake,  Frederick,  338. 

Blake,  Walter,  negroes  leave  him, 
199. 

Bluffton,  movement,  the,  3. 

Bonaparte,  Jerome  Napoleon,  goes 
to  Washington,  98;  described, 
102;  disappointed  in  Beaure- 
gard,  128. 

Boykin,  A.  H.,  35. 

Boykin,  Dr.,  17,  18,  21,  135,  404. 

Boykin,  E.  M.,  161,  389. 

Boykin,  Hamilton,  171. 

Boykin,  James,  220. 

Boykin,  J.  H.,  387. 

Boykin,  Col.  John,  121 ;  his  death 
in  prison,  308. 

Boykin,  Kitty,  22. 

Boykin,  Mary,  312,  403. 


Boykin,  Tom,  his  company,  58, 
135. 

Bradley,  Judy,  401. 

Bragg,  Gen.  Braxton,  joins  Beau- 
regard,  139,  147;  a  stern  dis 
ciplinarian,  203;  at  Chicka- 
mauga,  248,  252;  defeated  at 
Chattanooga,  258;  asks  to  be 
relieved,  259;  one  of  his  horses, 
303. 

Brandy  Station,  battle  of,  236. 

Breckinridge,  Gen.  John  C.,  249; 
in  Richmond,  275;  at  the  Ives 
theatricals,  285-286,  289. 

Brewster,  Mr.  — ,  10;  at  Fau- 
quier  WThite  Sulphur  Springs, 
77;  remark  by,  79;  a  talk  with, 
82;  quoted,  108,  122;  criticism 
of,  124;  and  Hood's  love-affair, 
266-267;  on  Joe  Johnston's  re 
moval,  320,  338. 

Bright,  John,  his  speeches  in  be 
half  of  the  Union,  109. 

Brooks,  Preston,  74. 

Brown,  Gov.,  of  Georgia,  315. 

Brown,  John,  of  Harper's  Ferry,  1. 

Browne,  "Constitution,"  going  to 
Washington,  9. 

Browne,  Mrs.  — ,  on  spies,  206; 
describes  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
207. 

Brumby,  Dr.  — ,  361. 

Buchanan,  James,  16,  207. 

Buckner,  Gen.  Simon  B.,  131;  in 
I  Richmond,  267-268,  275. 

Bull  Run,  objection  to  the  name, 
63;  battle  of,  85-90.  See  Ma- 
nassas. 

Burnside,  Gen.  Ambrose  E.,  cap 
tures  Roanoke  Island,  132; 
money  due  from,  to  Gen.  Pres 
ton,  159. 

Burroughs,  Mrs.  — ,  189. 

Butler,  Gen.  B.  F.,  his  Order  No. 
28,  164-165;  at  New  Orleans, 


406 


INDEX 


183,  202;  threatening  Rich 
mond,  294;  kind  to  Roony 
Lee,  300;  at  New  Orleans,  346. 
Byron,  Lord,  as  a  lover,  297; 
quoted,  391. 

/-"1ALHOUN,   JOHN  C.,   anec- 

V_y     dote  of,  17. 

Calhoun,  Mrs.  — ,  323. 

Camden,  S.  C.,  excitement  at,  3; 
dwelling  in,  21 ;  the  author's  ab 
sence  from,  22;  the  author  in, 
42-46;  battle  of,  75;  a  romance 
in,  120-121;  return  to,  127-130, 
240-251;  Gen.  Chesnut  in,  250; 
a  picnic  near,  at  Mulberry,  251; 
return  to,  304;  the  author  in, 
384-404. 

Cameron,  Simon,  a  proclamation 
by,  92,  400. 

Campbell,  Judge  John  A.,  his 
resignation,  14;  his  family,  77, 
247. 

Cantey,  Mary,  183. 

Cantey,  Zack,  375. 

Capers,  Mrs.  — ,  26. 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  and  slavery  in 
America,  136. 

Carroll,  Chancellor,  27. 

Carroll,  Judge,  204. 

Gary,  Constance,  263;  a  call  on, 
264;  a  call  from,  272;  a  call  for, 
272;  as  Lady  Teazle,  276,  277; 
as  Lydia  Languish,  285;  makes 
a  bonnet,  293;  describes  a  wed 
ding,  300;  and  Preston  Hamp 
ton,  301. 

Gary,  Hetty,  244,  260,  272;  Gen. 
Chesnut  with,  274. 

Chancellorsville,  battle  of,  213, 
245. 

Charleston,  the  author  in,  1-5; 
Secession  Convention  adjourns 
to,  3;  Anderson  in  Fort  Sumter, 
5 ;  war  steamer  off,  9 ;  return  to, 


21-41 ;  Convention  at,  in  a  snarl, 
26;  a  ship  fired  into  at,  31; 
soldiers  in  streets  of,  33;  An 
derson  refuses  to  capitulate  at, 
35;  the  fort  bombarded,  36; 
Bull  Run  Russell  in,  40;  re 
turn  to,  from  Montgomery,  57- 
67;  thin-skinned  people  in,  60; 
its  condition  good,  163;  bom 
bardment  of,  174;  under  bom 
bardment,  258;  surrender  of, 
350. 

Chase,  Col.  — ,  6. 

Chattanooga,  siege  of,  258. 

Chesnut,  Col.  James,  Sr.,  sketch 
of,  XVII;  looking  for  fire,  66; 
and  Nellie  Custis,  93,  122;  his 
family,  127;  anecdote  of,  135; 
his  losses  from  the  war,  158; 
his  old  wines,  249;  a  letter  from, 
296;  and  his  wife,  310;  refuses 
to  say  grace,  372;  sketch  of, 
390-392;  illness  of,  403. 

Chesnut,  Mrs.  James,  Sr.,  praises 
everybody,  59;  and  Mt.  Ver- 
non,  63;  anecdote  of,  66-67; 
silver  brought  from  Philadel 
phia  by,  135;  sixty  years  in  the 
South,  170,  236;  her  death, 
299;  and  her  husband,  310-311, 
391. 

Chesnut,  Gen.  James,  Jr.,  his 
death  described,  XVIII;  his 
resignation  as  U.  S.  Senator,  3, 
4,  9;  with  Mr.  Davis,  14,  19; 
averts  a  duel,  21,  26;  at  target 
practice,  29;  made  an  aide  to 
Beauregard,  34;  goes  to  demand 
surrender  of  Fort  Sumter,  34; 
his  interview  with  Anderson,  35; 
orders  Fort  Sumter  fired  on,  36; 
asleep  in  Beauregard's  room, 
37;  describes  the  surrender,  39; 
with  Wade  Hampton,  47;  his 
interview  with  Anderson,  48; 


407 


INDEX 


goes  to  Alabama,  52;  opposed 
to  leaving  Montgomery,  55,  57; 
and  Davin  the  spy,  60;  letter 
from,  63;  and  the  first  shot  at 
Fort  Sumter,  65;  letter  from, 
at  Manassas  Junction,  65;  in 
Richmond,  69;  a  letter  from, 
74-75;  orders  to  move  on,  re 
ceived  by,  80;  receiving  spies 
from  Washington,  82;  with 
Davis  and  Lee,  83;  his  servant 
Lawrence,  84;  his  account  of 
the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  88; 
speech  by,  90;  carries  orders  at 
Bull  Run,  106;  returns  to  Co 
lumbia,  126;  on  slavery,  130; 
news  for,  from  Richmond, 
132;  criticized,  134;  his  ad 
dress  to  South  Carolinians,  140; 
asked  to  excuse  students  from 
military  service,  141 ;  his  mili 
tary  affairs,  143,  144;  negroes 
offer  to  fight  for,  147;  attacked, 
148;  reasonable  and  consider 
ate,  151;  his  adventure  with 
Gov.  Gist,  153;  illness  of,  155; 
offered  a  place  on  staff  of  Mr. 
Davis,  157;  and  the  fall  of  New 
Orleans,  159;  finds  a  home  for 
negroes,  160;  on  a  visit  to  his 
father,  161;  as  to  Charleston's 
defenses,  163;  promotion  for, 
163;  at  dinner,  166,  167;  called 
to  Richmond,  171;  his  self- 
control,  173;  and  the  negroes, 
181;  returns  to  Columbia,  190; 
off  to  Richmond,  191,  194;  let 
ter  from,  on  the  Seven  Days' 
fighting,  197;  hears  the  Con 
federacy  is  to  be  recognized 
abroad,  201 ;  staying  with  Pres 
ident  Davis,  202;  his  character 
in  Washington,  204;  with  Gen. 
Preston,  207;  his  busy  life,  215; 
in  Wilmington,  216;  at  Miss 


Bierne's  wedding,  235;  an  an 
ecdote  of,  242;  when  a  raiding 
party  was  near  Richmond,  245; 
at  the  war  office  with,  247;  a 
tour  of  the  West  by,  248;  at 
home  reading  Thackeray's  nov 
els,  250;  visits  Bragg's  army 
again,  252;  contented,  but  op 
posed  to  more  parties,  257;  re 
ceives  a  captured  saddle  from 
Gen.  Wade  Hampton,  258;  man 
ages  Judge  Wigfall,  261;  his 
stoicism,  262;  opposed  to  feast 
ing,  263;  in  good  humor,  268; 
in  a  better  mood,  271;  de 
nounces  extravagance,  272 ;  and 
Hetty  Gary,  274;  popularity  of, 
with  the  Carys,  277;  with  Col. 
Lamar  at  dinner,  279;  promo 
tion  for,  280;  his  pay,  284;  at 
church,  292;  going  to  see  the 
President,  293;  made  a  briga 
dier-general,  302,  305;  his  re 
turn  to  South  Carolina,  307; 
his  work  in  saving  Richmond, 
309;  called  to  Charleston,  315; 
his  new  home  in  Columbia,  316; 
his  friend  Archer,  318-319; 
returns  to  Columbia,  330;  in 
Charleston,  337;  says  the  end 
has  come,  341;  urges  his  wife 
to  go  home,  344-345;  an  anec 
dote  of,  346;  escapes  capture, 
350;  a  letter  from,  355;  in  Lin- 
colnton,  359;  ordered  to  Ches 
ter,  S.  C.,  364;  letter  from,  366; 
his  cotton,  367;  and  slavery, 
374;  receives  news  of  Lincoln's 
assassination,  380;  fate  of,  381. 
Chesnut,  Mrs.  James,  Jr.,  the 
author,  importance  of  her  diary, 
XIII;  how  she  wrote  it,  XV; 
her  early  life,  XVI;  her  home 
described,  XX ;  history  of 
her  diary,  XXI;  in  Charleston, 


408 


INDEX 


1-5;  on  keeping  a  journal,  1; 
visits  Mulberry,  2;  her  hus 
band's  resignation  as  Senator, 
3;  in  Montgomery,  6-20;  on 
the  political  outlook,  7;  hears 
a  story  from  Robert  Toombs, 
7;  at  dinners,  etc.,  9-11;  calls 
on  Mrs.  Davis,  12;  sees  a  wom 
an  sold  at  auction,  13;  sees 
the  Confederate  flag  go  up,  14; 
at  the  Confederate  Congress,  18; 
in  Charleston,  21-41;  at  Mul 
berry  again,  21;  a  petition  to, 
from  house-servants,  22;  her 
father-in-law,  22;  goes  to  the 
Charleston  Convention,  23;  one 
of  her  pleasantest  days,  26;  her 
thirty-eighth  birthday,  27;  a 
trip  by,  to  Morris  Island,  31; 
her  husband  goes  to  Anderson 
with  an  ultimatum,  35;  on  a 
housetop  when  Sumter  was 
bombarded,  35-36;  watching 
the  negroes  for  a  change,  38 ;  in 
Camden,  42-46;  the  lawn  at 
Mulberry,  43;  her  photograph- 
book,  43;  a  story  of  her  maid 
Maria,  45;  at  Montgomery,  47- 
56;  a  cordial  welcome  to,  48; 
a  talk  by,  with  A.  H.  Stephens 
and  others,  49-54;  a  visit  to 
Alabama,  52;  at  luncheon  with 
Mrs.  Davis,  55;  in  Charleston, 
57-67;  goes  to  Richmond,  62, 
66;  letter  to,  from  her  husband, 
65;  in  Richmond,  68-76;  in 
cidents  in  the  journey.  68-69; 
a  talk  by,  with  Mrs.  Davis,  71 ; 
at  the  Champ-de-Mars,  72;  at 
Mr.  Davis's  table,  73;  letters  to, 
from  her  husband,  74,  75;  at 
White  Sulphur  Springs,  77-81; 
in  Richmond,  82-126;  has  a 
glimpse  of  war,  83;  weeps  at 
her  husband's  departure,  84; 

409 


the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  85-91; 
Gen.  Chesnut's  account  of  the 
battle,  88;  describes  Robert  E. 
Lee,  93-94;  at  a  flag  presen 
tation,  96;  her  money-belt,  101; 
goes  to  a  hospital,  107,  108;  an 
unwelcome  caller  on,  111;  knit 
ting  socks,  113;  her  fondness 
for  city  life,  124;  leaving  Rich 
mond,  125;  in  Camden,  127- 
130;  her  sister  Kate,  127;  a 
letter  to,  from  old  Col.  Chesnut, 
127;  illness  of,  128;  a  hiatus 
in  her  diary,  130;  in  Columbia, 
131-209;  a  visit  to  Mulberry, 
134;  illness  of,  135;  reading 
Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  142;  her 
influence  with  her  husband 
in  public  matters,  145;  over 
hears  her  husband  attacked,  A 
148;  her  husband  and  her  call 
ers,  151-153;  her  husband's 
secretary,  154;  depressed,  157; 
anniversary  of  her  wedding, 
158;  at  the  Governor's,  160;  as 
to  love  and  hatred,  162;  her 
impression  of  hospitality  in 
different  cities,  166-167;  at 
Mulberry,  169;  a  flood  of  tears, 
173;  illness  of,  180;  a  call  on, 
by  Governor  Pickens,  181; 
knows  how  it  feels  to  die,  182; 
at  Decca's  wedding,  184-185; 
Gen.  Chesnut  in  town,  190;  a 
letter  to,  from  her  husband, 
197;  assisting  the  Wayside  Hos 
pital,  205-206;  goes  to  Flat 
Rock,  210;  illness  of,  210;  in 
Alabama,  216-228;  meets  her 
husband  in  Wilmington,  216; 
a  melancholy  journey  by,  220- 
221;  finds  her  mother  ill,  221; 
Dick,  a  negro  whom  she  taught 
to  read,  224;  her  father's  body- 
servant  Simon,  225;  in  Mont- 


INDEX 


gomery,  226-227;  in  Richmond, 
229-239;  asked  to  a  picnic  by 
Gen.  Hood,  230;  hears  two  love- 
tales,  232-233;  at  Miss  Bierne's 
wedding,  235;  receives  from 
Mrs.  Lee  a  likeness  of  the  Gen 
eral,  236;  burns  some  personal 
papers,  239;  in  Camden,  240- 
251;  sees  Longstreet's  corps 
going  West,  241;  a  story  of  her 
mother,  243;  at  church  during 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville, 
244-245;  to  the  War  Office 
with  her  husband,  247;  a  tran 
quil  time  at  home,  250;  a  pic 
nic  at  Mulberry,  251;  in  Rich 
mond,  252-303;  lives  in  apart 
ments,  252;  an  adventure  in 
Kingsville,  255-257;  gives  a 
party,  257;  criticized  for  ex 
cessive  hospitality,  263;  with 
Mrs.  Davis,  264;  drives  with 
Gen.  Hood,  265-267,  271;  three 
generals  at  dinner,  268;  at  a 
charade  party,  273-274;  an  ill- 
timed  call,  278;  Thackeray's 
death,  282;  gives  a  luncheon- 
party,  282-283;  at  private 
theatricals,  285;  gives  a  party 
for  John  Chesnut,  286;  goes  to 
a  ball,  287;  a  walk  with  Mr. 
Davis,  291;  selling  her  old 
clothes,  300;  her  husband 
made  a  brigadier-general,  302; 
in  Camden,  304;  leaving  Rich 
mond,  304;  Little  Joe's  funer 
al,  306;  experiences  in  a  jour 
ney,  307-308;  friends  with  her 
at  Mulberry,  309;  writes  of 
her  mother-in-law,  310-311; 
at  Bloomsbury  again,  311;  in 
Columbia,  313-343;  at  home 
in  a  cottage,  314-316;  attend 
ance  of,  at  the  Wayside  Hos 
pital,  321,  324,  325;  at  Mary 


Preston's  wedding,  327;  enter 
tains  President  Davis,  328-329; 
a  visit  to,  from  her  sister,  329; 
letters  to,  from  Mrs.  Davis,  331, 
332,  335;  her  ponies,  336;  dis- 
^ress  of,  at  Sherman's  advance, 
341 ;  her  husband  at  home,  341 ; 
hi  Lincolnton,  344-366;  her 
flight  from  Columbia,  344-347; 
her  larder  empty,  361;  refuses 
an  offer  of  money,  363;  her 
husband  ordered  to  Chester, 
364;  losses  at  the  Hermitage, 
364;  illness  of,  364;  in  Ches 
ter,  367-383;  incidents  in  a 
journey  by,  367-369;  a  call 
on,  from  Gen.  Hood,  376;  on 
Lincoln's  assassination,  380;  in 
Camden,  384-404;  goes  to  Mul 
berry,  386;  sketch  by,  of  her 
father-in-law,  390-392;  goes  to 
the  Hermitage,  395;  illness  of, 
399;  no  heart  to  write  more, 
403. 

Chesnut,  Capt.  John,  a  soft-heart 
ed  slave-owner,  21 ;  enlists  as  a 
private,  58;  his  plantation,  64; 
letter  from,  132;  negroes  to 
wait  on,  163,  187;  and  McClel- 
lan,  192;  in  Stuart's  command, 
198;  one  of  his  pranks,  202; 
goes  to  his  plantation,  250; 
joins  his  company,  252,  287;  a 
flirtation  by,  328,  351,  381. 

Chesnut,  John,  ST.,  392. 

Chesnut,  Miss,  her  presence  of 
mind,  364;  bravery  shown  by, 
375. 

Chesnut  family,  the,  22. 

Chester,  S.  C.,  the  author  in,  367- 
383;  the  journey  to,  367-369; 
news  of  Lincoln's  assassination 
in,  380. 

Cheves,  Edward,  199. 

Cheves,  Dr.  John,  172. 


410 


INDEX 


Cheves,  Langdon,  24;  a  talk  with, 
26;  farewell  to,  37. 

Chickahominy,  battle  on  the,  177; 
as  a  victory,  180;  another  bat 
tle  on  the,  196. 

Chickamauga,  battle  of,  248. 

Childs,  Col.  — ,  362,  363,  364;  his 
generosity,  367. 

Childs,  Mrs.  Mary  Anderson,  16. 

Chisolm,  Dr.  — ,  314. 

Choiseul,  Count  de,  322. 

Clay,  C.  C.,  a  supper  given  by, 
283,  302,  374. 

Clay,  Mrs.  C.  C.,  as  Mrs.  Malaprop, 
285. 

Clay,  Mrs.  Lawson,  273. 

Clayton,  Mr.  — ,  2;  on  the  Gov 
ernment,  110. 

Clemens,  Jere,  12. 

Cobb,  Howell,  desired  for  Presi 
dent  of  the  Confederacy,  6, 
18;  his  common  sense,  68;  ar 
rest  of,  398. 

Cochran,  John,  a  prisoner  in 
Columbia,  133. 

Coffey,  Capt.  — ,  257. 

Cohen,  Mrs.  Miriam,  her  son  in 
the  war,  166;  a  hospital  anec 
dote  by,  176;  a  sad  story  told 
by,  178;  her  story  of  Luryea, 
183. 

Colcock,  Col.  — ,  2. 

Cold  Harbor,  battle  of,  196. 

Columbia,  Secession  Convention 
in,  2;  small-pox  in,  3;  pleas 
ant  people  in,  166;  dinner  in, 
167;  Wade  Hampton  in,  187; 
the  author  in,  131-209;  Gov 
ernor  and  council  in,  132;  a  trip 
from,  to  Mulberry,  135;  crit 
ics  of  Mr.  Davis  in,  140;  hos 
pitality  in,  166;  people  coming 
to,  from  Richmond,  169;  Wade 
Hampton  in,  wounded,  187- 
193;  Prof.  Le  Conte's  powder- 


factory  in,  187;  the  Wayside 
Hospital  in,  205;  called  from, 
to  Alabama,  218;  the  author 
takes  a  cottage  in,  314-316; 
President  Davis  visits,  328-329; 
burning  of,  351,  358,  361,  362, 
396. 

Confederate  flag,  hoisting  of,  at 
Montgomery,  14. 

Congress,  the,  burning  of,  140. 

Cooper,  Gen.  — ,  85,  103,   149. 

Corinth,  evacuated,  178. 

Cowpens,  the,  battle  of,  63. 

Coxe,   Esther  Maria,   257. 

Cumberland,  the,  sinking  of,  139. 

Cummings,  Gen.,  a  returned  pris 
oner,  200. 

Curtis,  George  William,  200. 

Custis,  Nellie,  93,  236. 

Cuthbert,  Capt.  George,  wounded, 
211;  shot  at  Chancellorsville, 
213. 

Cuthbert,  Mrs.  George,  337. 


DACRE,  MAY,  135. 
Dahlgren,  Admiral  John  H., 
294. 

Dahlgren,  Col.  U.,  his  raid  and 
death,  294. 

Daniel,  Mr.,  of  The  Richmond 
Examiner,  109. 

Darby,  Dr.  John  T.,  surgeon  of  the 
Hampton  Legion,  57;  false  re 
port  of  his  death.  88,  205;  with 
Gen.  Hood,  230;  goes  to  Eu 
rope,  293,  296;  his  marriage, 
327. 

Da  Vega,  Mrs.  — ,  369. 

Davin,  — ,  as  a  spy,  59. 

Davis,  President  Jefferson,  6,  8; 
when  Secretary  of  War,  11; 
elected  President,  12;  no  se- 
ceder,  29;  and  Hampton's  Le 
gion,  147;  a  dinner  at  his  house, 


28 


411 


INDEX 


49;  a  long  war  predicted  by,  53; 
his  want  of  faith  in  success,  71 ; 
on  his  Arabian  horse,  72;  at 
his  table,  73;  the  author  met 
by,  82;  goes  to  Manassas,  86; 
speech  by,  90;  the  author  asked 
to  breakfast  with,  95;  presents 
flag  to  Texans,  96;  as  a  recon- 
structionist,  104;  ill,  124;  criti 
cism  of,  129;  his  inauguration, 
132;  his  address  criticized,  134; 
a  defense  of,  140;  Gen.  Gonzales 
complains  to,  148;  abuse  of, 
150;  and  Butler's  "Order  No. 
28,"  165;  on  the  battle-field, 
202 ;  wants  negroes  in  the  army, 
224;  a  reception  at  his  house, 
246;  ill,  246;  in  Charleston, 
253;  riding  alone,  263;  as  a 
dictator,  265;  his  Christmas 
dinner,  268;  a  talk  with,  274; 
Congress  asks  for  advice,  280;  a 
walk  home  with,  283;  attacked 
for  nepotism,  290;  walks  home 
from  church  with  the  author, 
291;  speaks  to  returned  pris 
oners,  301;  when  Little  Joe 
died,  305;  his  Arabian  horse, 
309;  and  Joe  Johnston's  re 
moval,  326;  in  Columbia,  328- 
329;  on  his  visit  to  Columbia, 
331;  praise  of,  360;  when  Lee 
surrendered,  381;  traveling  lei 
surely,  394;  capture  of,  395, 
398. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  Jr.,  306. 

Davis,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  a  call  on,  12; 
at  one  of  her  receptions,  49; 
a  talk  with,  53;  at  lunch  with, 
55;  adores  Mrs.  Emory,  61; 
the  author  met  by,  69 ;  her  en 
tourage,  76;  her  ladies  de 
scribed,  79;  brings  news  of 
Bull  Run,  86;  announces  to 
Mrs.  Bartow  news  of  her  hus 


band's  death,  88;  in  her  draw 
ing-room,  90;  "a  Western  wom 
an,"  102;  a  landlady's  airs  to, 
192;  says  that  the  enemy  are 
within  three  miles  of  Richmond, 
346;  a  call  from,  263;  a  drive 
with,  264;  at  the  Semmes'  cha 
rade,  273;  her  servants,  275;  a 
reception  by,  281;  a  call  on, 
282;  gives  a  luncheon,  284; 
her  family  unable  to  live  on 
their  income,  300;  depressed, 
301;  a  drive  with,  302;  over 
looked  in  her  own  drawing- 
room,  318;  letters  from,  331, 
332,  335;  in  Chester,  377;  a 
letter  from,  378. 

Davis,  "Little  Joe,"  264;  his 
tragic  death,  305;  his  funeral, 
306,  309. 

Davis,  Nathan,  148;  a  call  from, 
152,  210. 

Davis,  Nick,  12. 

Davis,  Rev.  Thomas,  252. 

Davis,  Varina  Anne  ("  Winnie, 
Daughter  of  the  Confederacy"), 
378. 

Deas,  George,  12,  298. 

De  Leon,  Agnes,  back  from  Egypt, 
110. 

De  Leon,  Dr.,  9. 

Derby,  Lord,  136. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  12;  his 
death,  60. 

Drayton,  Tom,  148. 

Drury's  Bluff,  battle  of,  230. 

Duncan,  Blanton,  anecdote  of, 
150,  208. 


ELIOT,  GEORGE,  279. 
Elliott,  Stephen,  318. 
Ellsworth,  Col.  E.  E.,  his  death 

at  Alexandria,  58. 
Elmore,  Grace,  155. 


412 


INDEX 


Elzey,  Gen.  — ,  tells  of  the  dan 
ger  of  Richmond,  246. 

Emancipation  Proclamation,  the, 
153,  199. 

Emerson,  R.  W.,  the  author  read 
ing,  64. 

Emory,  Gen.  William  H.,  his 
resignation,  61. 

Emory,  Mrs.  William  H.,  Frank 
lin's  granddaughter,  61,  84;  a 
clever  woman,  352. 

Eustis,  Mrs.  — ,  124. 


FAIR  OAKS  OR  SEVEN 
PINES,  battle  of,  171. 

Farragut,  Admiral  D.  G.,  cap 
tures  New  Orleans,  158,  319. 

Fauquier  White  Sulphur  Springs, 
77. 

Fernandina,  Fla.,  2. 

Fitzpatrick,  Mrs.  — ,  8,  53. 

Floyd,  John  D.,  at  Fort  Donel- 
son,  140. 

Ford,  Mary,  312. 

Forrest,  Gen.  Nathan  B.,  323. 

Fort  Donelson,  surrender  of,  131, 
140. 

Fort  Duquesne,  392. 

Fort  McAlister,  339. 

Fort  Moultrie,  42. 

Fort  Pickens,  47. 

Fort  Pillow,  given  up,  177. 

Fort  Sumter,  Anderson  in,  5,  8; 
if  it  should  be  attacked,  9 ;  folly 
of  an  attack  on,  12;  and  An 
derson,  29;  surrender  of,  de 
manded,  34;  bombardment  of, 
35;  on  fire,  38;  surrender  of, 
39;  those  who  captured  it,  42; 
who  fired  the  first  shot  at,  65. 

Freeland,  Maria,  257. 

Frost,  Henry,  147. 

Frost,  Judge  — ,  54. 

Frost,  Tom,  26. 


AILLARD,  MRS.  — ,  173. 

Garnett,  Dr.  — ,  his  broth 
er's  arrival  from  the  North, 
107,  260. 

Garnett,  Mary,  9. 

Garnett,  Muscoe  Russell,  144. 

Garnett,  Gen.  R.  S.,  killed  at 
Rich  Mountain,  119. 

Gay,  Captain,  382. 

Georgetown,  enemy  landing  in, 
165. 

Gibbes,  Dr.  — ,  26;  reports  inci 
dents  of  the  war,  93;  bad  news 
from,  100. 

Gibbes,  Mrs.  — ,  32. 

Gibbes,  Mrs.  Hampton,  170. 

Gibson,  Dr.  — ,  117. 

Gibson,  Mrs.,  her  prophecy,  169; 
her  despondency,  174. 

Gidiere,  Mrs.  — ,  4. 

Gist,  Gov.,  152;  an  anecdote  of, 
153. 

Gladden,  Col.  — ,  156. 

Gonzales,  Gen.  — ,  his  farewell  to 
the  author,  125;  complains  of 
want  of  promotion,  148. 

Goodwyn,  Artemus,  21. 

Goodwyn,  Col.  — ,  218,  350. 

Gourdin,  Robert,  25,  32. 

Grahamsville,  to  be  burned,  336. 

Grant,  Gen.  U.  S. ,  and  the  surrender 
of  Fort  Donelson,  131 ;  at  Vicks- 
burg,  219;  a  place  for,  269;  his 
success,  270;  pleased  with  Sher 
man's  work,  299 ;  reenforcements 
for,  310;  before  Richmond,  322, 
333;  closing  in  on  Lee,  346; 
Richmond  falls  before,  377. 

Greeley,  Horace,  quoted,  116. 

Green,  Allen,  32,  95,  360. 

Green,  Mrs.  Allen,  33. 

Green,  Halcott,  171,  203. 

Greenhow,  Mrs.  Rose,  warned  the 
Confederates  at  Manassas,  176; 
in  Richmond,  201,  204. 


413 


INDEX 


Gregg,  Maxcy,  31. 
Grundy,  Mrs.,  257. 


HALLECK,  GEN.,  being  re- 
enforced,  165;  takes  Cor 
inth,  178. 

Hamilton,  Jack,  36. 

Hamilton,  Louisa,  her  baby,  36, 
211. 

Hamilton,  Prioleau,  374. 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  Prioleau,  370. 

Hammy,  Mary,  66,  76;  her  fiance, 
79;  many  strings  to  her  bow, 
100;  her  disappointment,  118; 
in  tears,  124. 

Hampton,  Christopher,  161,  264; 
leaving  Columbia,  344,  399. 

Hampton,  Frank,  his  death  and 
funeral,  237;  a  memory  of,  238. 

Hampton,  Mrs.  Frank,  40,  42; 
on  flirting  with  South  Carolin 
ians,  118,  173. 

Hampton,  Miss  Kate,  218;  anec 
dote  of,  381. 

Hampton  Legion,  the,  Dr.  Darby 
its  surgeon,  57;  ift  a  snarl,  85; 
at  Bull  Run,  105. 

Hampton,  Preston,  40,  237,  260, 
264,  272;  his  death  in  battle, 
332. 

Hampton  Roads,  the  Merrimac 
in,  164. 

Hampton,  Sally,  293,  332;  mar 
riage  of,  399. 

Hampton,  Gen.  Wade,  of  the 
Revolution,  39,  43,  47. 

Hampton,  Mrs.  Wade,  the  elder, 
43. 

Hampton,  Gen.  Wade,  his  Legion, 
,  47;  in  Richmond,  82;  wounded, 
87;  the  hero  of  the  hour,  135, 
150;  shot  in  the  foot,  171;  his 
wound,  180;  his  heroism  when 
wounded,  181;  in  Columbia, 


187;  at  dinner,  189-190;  and 
his  Legion,  191 ;  a  reception  to, 
192;  sends  a  captured  saddle 
to  Gen.  Chesnut,  258;  a  basket 
of  partridges  from,  271,  313; 
£ghts  a  battle,  in  which  his  two 
sons  fall,  332;  tribute  of,  to  Joe 
Johnston,  343;  made  a  lieu 
tenant-general,  350;  correspond 
ence  of,  with  Gen.  Sherman, 
359;  home  again,  404. 

Hampton,  Mrs.  Wade,  136. 

Hampton,  Wade,  Jr.,  249;  wound 
ed  in  battle,  332. 

Hardee,  Gen.  William  J.,  371. 

Harlan,  James,  90. 

Harper's  Ferry,  to  be  attacked, 
58;  evacuated,  65. 

Harris,  Arnold,  brings  news  from 
Washington,  91. 

Harrison,  Burton,  246,  263,  264; 
at  a  charade,  274;  defends  Mr. 
Davis,  290,  305,  330. 

Hartstein,  Capt.,  25. 

Haskell,  Alexander,  198,  268. 

Haskell,  John  C.,  293,  399. 

Haskell,  Mrs.  — ,  196. 

Haskell,  William,  27. 

Haxall,  Lucy,  257. 

Haxall,  Mrs.,  278. 

Hayne,  Mrs.  Arthur,   146. 

Hayne,  Isaac,  26,  66,  316,  346, 
369. 

Hayne,  Mrs.  Isaac,  27;  when  her 
son  died,  202. 

Hayne,  Paul,  176;  his  son  and 
Lincoln,  202,  208. 

Hemphill,  John,  48. 

Hermitage,  the,  365. 

Hey  ward,  Barn  well,  as  an  escort, 
64,  212,  278,  283. 

Heyward,  Henrietta  Magruder, 
212. 

Heyward,  Joseph,  212. 

Heyward,  Mrs.  Joseph,  28,  39. 


414 


INDEX 


Heyward,  Savage,  22. 

Hill,  Benjamin  H.,  refusal  of, 
to  fight  a  duel,  11,  13;  in  Rich 
mond,  274. 

Holmes,    Oliver  Wendell,    144. 

Hood,  Gen.  John  B.,  100;  de 
scribed,  230;  with  his  staff, 
231 ;  at  Chickamauga,  248;  calls 
on  the  author,  263;  a  drive 
with,  265;  his  love-affairs,  266- 
269;  a  drive  with,  271 ;  fitted  for 
gallantry,  277;  on  horseback, 
282;  drives  with  Mr.  Davis, 
283;  has  an  ovation,  284;  at  a 
ball,  287;  his  military  glory, 
290;  anecdote  of,  298;  a  full 
general,  314;  his  address  to  the 
army,  316;  losses  of,  before  At 
lanta,  320;  his  force,  333;  off 
to  Tennessee,  337;  losses  of,  at 
the  battle  of  Nashville,  337,  340; 
in  Columbia,  342;  his  glory 
on  the  wane,  372;  a  call  from, 
376;  his  silver  cup,  380;  abuse 
of,  383. 

Hooker,  Gen.  Joseph  B.,  162,  213. 

Howell,  Maggie,  76,  304,  327. 

Howell,  Mrs.,  265. 

Huger,  Alfred,  2. 

Huger,  Gen.  Benjamin,  383. 

Huger,  Mrs.,  381,  394. 

Huger,  Thomas,  31 ;  his  death,  186. 

Humphrey,  Capt.,  5. 

Hunter,  R.  M.  T.,  at  dinner  with, 
53,  57,  144;  a  walk  home  with, 
283,  398. 


JNGRAHAM,  CAPT.  — ,  8,  10, 

-L  14,  42,  54;  says  the  war  has 
hardly  begun,  99,  147. 

Ives,  Col.  J.  C.,  284. 

Ives,  Mrs.  J.  C.,  273;  her  theatri 
cals,  285. 


Izard,  Mrs.  — ,  26;  quoted,  93, 
146 ;  tells  of  Sand  Hill  patriots, 
209,  351. 

Izard,  Lucy,  212. 


TACKSON,    GEN.     "STONE- 

*J  WALL/'  at  Bull  Run,  89, 
170;  his  movements,  172;  his 
influence,  175;  his  triumphs, 
179;  following  up  McClellan, 
193;  faith  in,  196;  killed,  213; 
promoted  Hood,  230;  described 
by  Gen.  Lawton,  261-262;  la 
ments  for,  269. 

Jameson,  Mr.  — ,  54. 

James  Island,  Federals  land  on, 
181;  abandoned,  195. 

Johnson,  President  Andrew,  394, 
398. 

Johnson,  Mrs.  Bradley  T.,  as  a 
heroine,  71. 

Johnson,  Herschel  V.,  11. 

Johnson,  Dr.  Robert,  220. 

Johnston,  Gen.  Albert  Sidney, 
131,  140;  killed  at  Shiloh,  156, 
182. 

Johnston,  General  Edward,  a 
prisoner  in  the  North,  232; 
help  he  once  gave  Grant,  269. 

Johnston,  Gen.  Joseph  E.,  his 
command,  75;  evacuates  Har 
per's  Ferry,  65;  retreating,  78; 
to  join  Beauregard,  84,  85;  at 
Bull  Run,  91;  at  Seven  Pines, 
171;  wounded,  180;  his  hero 
ism  as  a  boy,  184;  sulking,  228; 
as  a  great  god  of  war,  240; 
thought  well  of,  248;  his  care 
for  his  men,  249;  made  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  West, 
265;  orders  to,  290;  suspended, 
314;  cause  of  his  removal,  315, 
317,  320;  a  talk  with,  350;  in 
Lincolnton,  352;  a  drawn  bat- 


415 


INDEX 


tie  by,  372;  not  to  be  caught, 

379 ;  anecdote  of,  383. 
Johnston,  Mrs.  Joseph  E.,  53,  86; 

and  Mrs.  Davis,  102,  350;    her 

cleverness,  352. 
Johnston,  Robert,  375. 
Jones,  Col.  Cadwallader,  380. 
Jones,  Gen.  — ,  315. 
Jordan,  Gen.,  an  outburst  from, 


KEARSARGE,  the,  314. 
Keitt,  Col.  Lawrence,  op 
posed  to  Mr.  Davis,  68;   seek 
ing  promotion,  258. 

Kershaw's  brigade  in  Columbia, 
341. 

Kershaw,  Joseph,  and  the  Ches- 
nuts,  393. 

Kershaw,  Gen.  Joseph  B.,  and  his 
brigade,  21;  anecdote  of,  63; 
his  regiment  praised,  95;  his 
piety,  101;  his  independent  re 
port  on  Bull  Run,  107. 

Kershaw,  Mrs.  Joseph  B.,  390. 

Kilpatrick,  Gen.  Judson,  294; 
threatening  Richmond,  296 ; 
his  failure  before  Richmond, 
298. 

King,  Judge,  211. 

Kingsville,  3;  an  adventure  in, 
253. 

Kirkland,  Mary,  385. 

Kirkland,  Mrs.  — ,  4. 

Kirkland,  William,  311. 

Kirkwood  Rangers,  the,  106. 


L 


A  BORDE,  DR.  — ,  210. 

Lamar,  Col.  L.  Q.  C.,  in 
Richmond,  70;  a  talk  with,  72; 
on  the  war,  73;  on  crutches,  82, 
144;  asked  to  dinner,  278;  his 


talk  of  George  Eliot,  279-280; 
and  Constance  Gary,  286; 
spoken  of,  for  an  aideship,  302. 

Lancaster,  356. 

Lane,  Harriet,  18. 

haurens,  Henry,  his  grandchil 
dren,  330. 

Lawrence,  a  negro,  unchanged, 
38;  fidelity  of,  101,  112;  quar 
rels  of,  with  his  wife,  217,  237; 
sent  home,  288. 

Lawton,  Gen.  Alexander  R.,  talks 
of  "  Stonewall  Jackson,"  261 ;  a 
talk  with,  276. 

Le  Conte,  Prof.  Joseph,  141;  his 
powder  manufactory,  187. 

Ledyard,  Mr.  — ,  18. 

Lee,  Custis,  100,  246,  328. 

Lee,  Fitzhugh,  294. 

Lee,  Light  Horse  Harry,  94. 

Lee,  Gen.  Robert  E.,  made  Gen- 
eral-in-chief  of  Virginia,  47,  63; 
with  Davis  and  Chesnut,  83; 
seen  by  the  author  for  the  first 
time,  93;  warns  planters,  136; 
criticism  of,  188;  faith  in,  197; 
warns  Mr.  Davis  on  the  battle 
field,  202;  and  Antietam,  213; 
wants  negroes  in  the  army,  224 ; 
a  likeness  of,  236;  faith  in  him 
justified,  240;  at  Mr.  Da  vis's 
house,  244;  fighting  Meade, 
258;  at  church,  264;  in  Rich 
mond,  265;  if  he  had  Grant's 
resources,  270;  a  sword  for, 
292;  instructed  in  the  art  of 
war,  292;  his  daughter-in-law's 
death,  300;  a  postponed  re 
view  by,  306;  without  back 
ing,  331 ;  a  drawn  battle  by, 
372;  despondent,  377;  capitu 
lation  of,  378 ;  part  of  his  army 
in  Chester,  379. 

Lee,  Mrs.  Robert  E.,  93,  124,  236; 
a  call  on,  292. 


416 


INDEX 


Lee,  Roony,  93;  wounded,  236; 
Butler  kind  to,  300. 

Lee,  Capt.  Smith,  a  walk  with, 
294,  302,  303. 

Lee,  Stephen  D.,  371. 

Legree,  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  dis 
cussed,  114-116. 

Leland,  Capt.,  337. 

Leon,  Edwin  de,  sent  to  Eng 
land,  172. 

Levy,  Martha,  211. 

Lewes,  George  Henry,  280. 

Lewis,  John,  257. 

Lewis,  Major  John  Coxe,  265. 

Lewis,  Maria,  her  wedding,  264, 
303. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  his  election, 
1;  at  his  inauguration,  9;  in 
Baltimore,  12,  13;  his  inau 
gural  address,  14;  his  Scotch 
cap,  18;  described,  19,  33;  as  a 
humorist,  71;  his  army,  76; 
anecdote  of,  78;  his  emancipa 
tion  proclamation,  153,  199; 
his  portrait  attacked  by  Paul 
Hayne's  son,  202;  his  regrets 
for  the  war,  203,  270;  assassina 
tion  of,  380,  396. 

Lincoln,  Mrs.  Abraham,  vulgarity 
of,  12;  her  economy,  16,  18, 
270;  her  sister  in  Richmond, 
381. 

Lincolnton,  the  author  in,  344- 
366;  an  exile  in,  347;  taken  for 
a  millionaire  in,  349;  Gen. 
Chesnut  in,  358-359. 

Lomax,  Col.,  6. 

Longstreet,  A.  B.,  author  of 
Georgia  Scenes,  82. 

Longstreet,  Gen.  James,  his  army 
going  West,  241;  separated 
from  Bragg,  258;  failure  of,  265. 

Lowe,  Sir  Hudson,  399. 

Lowndes,  Charles,  211. 

Lowndes,  Mrs.  Charles,  4. 


Lowndes,  James,  a  call  from,  112, 

370. 

Lowndes,  Rawlins,  211. 
Lowndes,  Mrs.  — ,  59. 
Lubbock,  Gov.  — ,  328. 
Luryea,  Albert,  his  death,  175. 
Lyons,  Lord,  136. 
Lyons,  Mrs.,  239,  281,  313. 
Lyons,  Rachel,  208. 

MAGRATH,  JUDGE,  2,  394. 
Magruder,  Gen.  John  B., 
wins  battle  of  Big  Bethel,  62, 
196;  public  opinion  against, 
201;  in  Columbia,  204. 

Mallory,  Stephen  R.,  13;  meets 
the  author  in  Richmond,  69, 
147. 

Mallory,  Mrs.  S.  R.,  27. 

Malvern  Hill,  battle  of,  194,  214. 

Manassas,  a  sword  captured  at, 
101.  See  Bull  Run. 

Manassas  Junction,  letter  from 
Gen.  Chesnut  at,  65. 

Manassas  Station,  63;  looking  for 
a  battle  at,  64. 

Manning,  Gov.  John,  sketch  of, 
23;  at  breakfast,  25,  27;  news 
from,  32,  34;  an  aide  to  Beaure- 
gard,  36;  under  fire,  38;  his 
anecdote  of  Mrs.  Preston,  168. 

Marshall,  Henry,  161. 

Martin,  Isabella  D.,  155,  268; 
quoted,  275;  to  appear  in  a 
play,  276;  on  war  and  love- 
making,  288;  when  Willie  Pres 
ton  died,  315;  takes  the  author 
to  a  chapel,  322;  a  walk  with, 
336,  343,  350,  363;  letter  from, 
404. 

Martin,  Rev.  William,  and  the 
Wayside  Hospital,  206;  at  Lin 
colnton,  351. 

Martin,  Mrs.  William,  315. 

Mason,  George,  103. 


417 


INDEX 


Mason,  James  M.,  at  dinner  with, 
98;  as  an  envoy  to  England, 
116-117,  125;  on  false  news, 
104. 

McCaa,  Col.  Burwell  Boykin,  his 
death  in  battle,  229,  373. 

McClellan,  Gen.  George  B.,  ad 
vancing  for  a  battle,  65;  su 
persedes  Scott,  98 ;  as  a  coming 
king,  119;  said  to  have  been 
removed,  153;  his  force  of  men 
on  the  Peninsula  158;  his  army, 
164;  at  Fair  Oaks,  171;  his 
lines  broken,  187;  followed  by 
"Stonewall"  Jackson.  193;  pris 
oners  taken  from,  196;  belief 
in  his  defeat,  198;  destruction 
of  his  army  expected,  200;  his 
escape,  201 ;  and  Antietam,  213. 

McCord,  Cheves,   177. 

McCord,  Mrs.  Louisa  S.,  and  her 
brother,  139;  her  faith  in  South 
ern  soldiers,  175;  of  patients  in 
the  hospital,  182;  a  talk  with, 
199;  on  nurses,  203,  239;  at  her 
hospital,  317;  sends  a  bouquet 
to  President  Davis,  328;  a  din 
ner  with,  335;  her  horses,  336; 
her  troublesome  country  cousin, 
337. 

McCullock,  Ben,  50. 

McDowell,  Gen.  Irvin,  defeated 
at  Bull  Run,  91. 

McDuffie,  Mary,  136. 

McFarland,  Mrs.,  236. 

McLane,  Col.,  329. 

McLane,  Mrs.,  85-86. 

McLane,  — ,  92. 

McMahan,  Mrs.,  210. 

Meade,  Gen.  George  G.,  fighting 
Lee,  258-259;  his  armies,  269. 

Means,  Gov.  John  H.,  26,  33;  a 
good-by  to,  207,  214. 

Means,  Mrs.  — ,  37. 

Means,  Stark,  37. 


Memminger,  Hon.  Mr.,  letter 
from,  164. 

Memphis  given  up,  177;  retaken, 
323. 

Merrimac,  the,  136,  139,  140; 
•ailed  the  Virginia,  148;  sunk, 
164. 

Meynardie,  Rev.  Mr.,  66;  as  a 
traveling  companion,  68,  101. 

Middleton,  Miss,  348,  349;  de 
scribed,  353,  359;  a  letter  from, 
376. 

Middleton,  Mrs.  — ,  136,  154. 

Middleton,  Mrs.  Tom,  26. 

Middleton,  Olivia,  338. 

Miles,  Col.  — ,  an  aide  to  Beaure- 
gard,  36;  an  anecdote  by,  43, 
54,  125. 

Miles,  Dr.  Frank,  361. 

Miles,  William  A.,  his  love-affairs, 
232-234. 

Miller,  John  L.,  309. 

Miller,  Stephen,  6. 

Miller,  Stephen  Decatur,  sketch  of, 
16;  his  body-servant,  Simon, 
225. 

Miller,  Mrs.  Stephen  Decatur,  216; 
ill  in  Alabama,  221;  her  return 
with  the  author,  226;  an  anec 
dote  of  her  bravery,  243. 

Milton,  John,  as  a  husband,  298. 

Minnegerode,  Rev.  Mr.,  his  church 
during  Stoneman's  raid,  245; 
his  prayers,  277. 

Mobile  Bay,  battle  of,  319. 

Moise,  Mr.  — ,  178. 

Monitor,  the,  137,  139,  140. 

Montagu,  Lady  Mary,  142. 

Montgomery,  Ala.,  the  author  in, 
6-20;  Confederacy  being  or 
ganized  at,  6;  speeches  in  Con 
gress  at,  12;  Confederate  flag 
raised  at,  15;  the  author  in,  47- 
56;  a  trip  from  Portland,  Ala., 
to,  52;  removal  of  Congress 


418 


INDEX 


from,  55;  society  in,  166;  hospi 
tality  in,  166;  the  author  in, 
220,  226-228. 

Montgomery  Blues,  the,  6. 

Montgomery  Hall,  21. 

Moore,  Gen.  A.  B.,  6;  brings  news, 

8,  10,  15. 

Morgan,  Gen.  John  H.,  an  anec 
dote  of,  208;  his  romantic  mar 
riage,  242;  in  Richmond,  275; 
a  dinner  by,  276;  his  death  re 
ported,  326. 

Morgan,  Mrs.  John  H.,  her  ro 
mantic  marriage,  242. 

Mormonism,   143. 

Morris  Island,  31;  being  fortified, 
195. 

Moses,  Little,  134. 

Mt.  Vernon,  63. 

Mulberry,  a  visit  to,  2,  21;  por 
trait  of  C.  C.  Pinckney  at,  32; 
the  author  at,  42;  a  stop  at,  57; 
the  author  ill  at,  127,  135;  hos 
pitality  at,  169;  a  picnic  at,  251 ; 
in  spring,  308;  Madeira  from, 
329;  a  farewell  to,  340;  fears 
for,  354;  reported  destruction 
of,  381;  results  of  attack  on, 
386;  a  dinner  at,  403. 

-\J-APIER,  LORD,  176. 
-A-N      Napoleon  III,  136. 
Nashville,  evacuation  of,  134. 
Nelson,  Warren,  143. 
Newbern,  lost,  144. 
New  Madrid,  to  be  given  up,  146. 
New  Orleans,  taken  by  Farragut, 

158-159;     a  story  from,   178; 

men  enlisting  in,  188;    women 

at,  188. 
New  York   Herald,   the,  quoted, 

9,  13,  18,  34,  43,  100;  criticism 
by,  281,  298. 

New  York  Tribune,  the,  quoted, 
89,  96, 107. 


Nickleby,  Mrs.,  131. 

Norfolk,  burned,  164. 

Northrop,  Mr.  — ,  abused  as  com 
missary-general,  97. 

Nott,  Henry  Deas,  on  the  war, 
103. 

OGDEN,  CAPT.  — ,  327,  333, 
367. 

Orange  Court  House,  74. 
Ordinance  of  Secession,  passage 

of,  4. 

Ossoli,  Margaret  Fuller,  32. 
Ould,  Judge,  247. 
Ould,  Mrs.,  a  party  of  hers,  259, 

274,  280;  gives  a  luncheon,  302. 
Owens,  Gen.  — ,  48. 

T3ALMER,  DR.  — ,  326. 

J-     Palmetto  Flag,  raising  the,  2. 

Parker,  Frank,  303. 

Parkman,  Mrs.,  235. 

Patterson,  Miss  — ,  345. 

Pea  Ridge,  battle  of,  139. 

Pemberton,  Gen.  John  C.,  219, 
247. 

Penn,  Mrs.  —,281. 

Petersburg,  an  incident  at,  255; 
prisoners  taken  at,  323. 

Petigru,  James  L.,  his  opposition 
to  secession,  24,  36;  refuses  to 
pray  for  Mr.  Davis,  63,  284. 

Pettigrew,  Johnston,  offered  a 
brigadier-generalship,  145,  171, 
173. 

Phillips,  Mrs.,  201. 

Pickens,  Gov.  Francis  W.,  "in 
sensible  to  fear,"  3;  and  Fort 
Sumter,  5;  a  telegram  from,  9; 
a  fire-eater,  29;  orders  a  signal 
fired,  33;  a  call  from,  151,  181; 
has  telegram  from  Mr.  Davis, 
190;  serenaded,  204. 

Pickens,    Mrs.    Francis    W.,    29, 


419 


INDEX 


134,  149;  her  reception  to  Gen. 
Wade  Hampton,  192-193. 

Pillow,  Gideon  J.,  at  Fort  Donel- 
son,  140. 

Pinckney,  Cha  les  C.,  32. 

Pinckney,  Miss  — ,  32. 

Pizzini's,  111. 

Poe,  Edgar  Allan,  258. 

Polk,  Gen.  Leonidas,  and  Sher 
man,  291,  298. 

Pollard,  Mr.  — ,  dinner  at  home  of, 
9. 

Porcher,  Mr.  — ,  drowned,  107. 

Portland,  Ala.,  a  visit  to,  52. 

Portman,  Mr.  — ,  373. 

Port  Royal,  137. 

Potter,  Gen.  Edward  E.,  387. 

Preston,  Jack,  343. 

Preston,  Gen.  John  S.,  at  War- 
renton,  82;  as  to  prisoners  in 
Columbia,  133;  ruined  by  the 
fall  of  New  Orleans,  159 ;  on  gos 
siping,  162;  his  entertain 
ments,  168,  207;  with  Hood  at 
a  reception,  284,  323;  return  of 
his  party  from  Richmond,  373; 
on  horseback,  374;  a  good-by 
from,  375;  going  abroad,  382. 

Preston,  Mrs.  John  S.,  39;  goes  to 
Manassas,  69,  94;  quoted,  130, 
143;  a  dinner  wi^h,  157;  a  ball 
given  by,  167;  her  fearlessness, 
168;  a  call  with,  180;  at  a  con 
cert,  193;  an  anecdote  by,  295- 
296. 

Preston,  Mary  C.,  goes  to  Mul 
berry,  134,  136,  143;  a  drive  by, 
with  Mr.  Venable,  150;  with 
Gen.  Chesnut,  159;  a  talk  with, 
162;  gives  Hood  a  bouquet, 
231;  made  love  to,  233,  256; 
greets  Gen.  Hood,  263,  283, 
296;  her  marriage,  327;  a  din 
ner  to,  330. 

Preston,  Sally  Buchanan  Camp 


bell,  called  "Buck,"  150,  167; 

made  love  to,  233,  266;  why  she 

dislikes  Gen.  Hood,  286;  men 

who  worship,  288;     and  Gen. 

Hood,  289,  291;   on  horseback, 

363. 

Preston,  Miss  Susan,  36. 
Preston,   Willie,   43;      his  death, 

315. 

Preston,  William  C.,  105,  362. 
Pride,  Mrs.  — ,  370,  372,  373. 
Prince  of  Wales,  the,  his  visit  to 

Washington,  207. 
Pringle,  Edward  J.,  letter  from, 

4,27. 

Pringle,  Mrs.  John  J.,  186. 
Pryor,  Gen.  Roger  A.,  37. 

"OACHEL,  MADAM,  in  Char- 

-Lt     leston,  238. 

Randolph,  Gen.  — ,  147. 

Randolph,  Mrs.  — ,  described, 
105;  and  Yankee  prisoners, 
107;  her  theatricals,  275. 

Ravenel,  St.  Julien,  365. 

Reed,  Wm.  B.,  arrested,  113. 

Reynolds,  Mrs.  — ,  22. 

Rhett,  Albert,  165. 

Rhett,  Mrs.  Albert,  147. 

Rhett,  Barn  well,  desired  for  Pres 
ident  of  the  Confederacy,  6 ;  as 
a  man  for  president,  104. 

Rhett,  Barnwell,  Jr.,  148. 

Rhett,  Burnet,  to  marry  Miss 
Aiken,  21  . 

Rhett,  Edmund,  150,.  313-314. 

Rhett,  Grimke",  200. 

Rice,  Henry  M.,  205. 

Rich  Mountain,  battle  of,  119. 

Richmond,  going  to,  66;  the  au 
thor  in,  68-76;  return  to,  from 
White  Sulphur  Springs,  82-126; 
a  council  of  war  in,  83;  when 
Bull  Run  was  fought,  85-89; 
Robert  E.  Lee  seen  in,  93-94; 


420 


INDEX 


at  the  hospitals  in,  108-111; 
women  knitting  socks  in,  113; 
agreeable  people  in,  120;  Gen. 
Chesnut  called  to,  157;  hospi 
tality  in,  167;  a  battle  near,  171, 
174;  the  Seven  Days'  fighting 
near,  197-198;  return  to,  229- 
239;  Gen.  Hood  in,  229-231;  a 
march  past  in,  231;  a  funeral 
in,  237;  during  Stoneman's 
raid,  239,  247;  at  Mr.  Da  vis's 
in,  244;  the  enemy  within  three 
miles  of,  246;  at  the  War-Office 
in,  247-248;  return  to,  252- 
303;  the  journey  to,  252-256; 
to  see  a  French  frigate  near, 
259;  Gen.  Hood  in,  265-269, 
271;  merriment  in,  272-277, 
282-287;  a  huge  barrack,  278; 
almost  taken,  293-294;  Dahl- 
gren's  raid,  294;  Kilpatrick 
threatens,  296,  298;  fourteen 
generals  at  church  in,  299;  re 
turned  prisoners  in,  301 ;  a  fare 
well  to,  302-304;  Little  Joe 
Da  vis's  death  in,  305-306; 
anxiety  in,  330;  fall  of,  377. 

Roanoke  Island,  surrender  of,  132. 

Robertson,  Mr.  — ,  385. 

Rosecrans,  Gen.  William  S.,  248; 
at  Chattanooga,  258. 

Russell,  Lord,  136. 

Russell,  William  H.,  of  the  Lon 
don  Times,  40, 50;  criticisms  by, 
52;  his  criticisms  mild,  60;  rub 
bish  in  his  letters,  64;  attacked, 
66;  abuses  the  South,  74;  his 
account  of  Bull  Run,  96,  113; 
his  criticisms  of  plantation 
morals,  114;  on  Bull  Run,  117; 
his  "India,"  208. 

Rutledge,  Mrs.  Ben.,  348. 

Rutledge,  John,  31. 

Rutledge,  Julia,   240. 

Rutledge,  Robert,  14. 


Rutledge,  Sally,  212. 
Rutledge,  Susan,  5. 

SANDERS,  GEORGE,  12. 
Saussure,  Mrs.  John  de,  15; 
a  good- by  from,  67. 

Saussure,  Wilmot  de,  89,  107,  109. 

Scipio  Africanus,  a  negro,  391,  397. 

Scott,  Gen.  Winfield,  anecdote  of, 
7 ;  and  officers  wishing  to  resign, 
10;  on  Southern  soldiers,  182. 

Scott,  Mrs.  Winfield,  19. 

Secession  in  South  Carolina,  2; 
the  Convention  of,  3;  support 
for,  5. 

Secession ville,  battle  of,  191. 

Seddon,  Mr.  J.  A.,  247. 

Semmes,  Admiral  R.,  236;  a  cha 
rade-party  at  his  house,  272- 
273;  and  the  surrender  of  the 
Alabama,  314. 

Semmes,  Mrs.,  her  calmness,  294. 

Seven  Days'  Battle,  last  of  the, 
194;  Gen.  Chesnut's  account  of, 
197. 

Seven  Pines,  battle  of,  171. 

Seventh  Regiment,  of  New  York, 
the,  in  Baltimore,  41. 

Seward,  William  H.,  17,  33,  104; 
quoted,  146 ;  reported  to  have 
gone  to  England,  203;  at 
tempted  assassination  of,  380. 

Shakespeare,  William,  as  a  lover, 
296-297. 

Shand,  Nanna,  158. 

Shand,  Rev.  Mr.,  194,  195. 

Shannon,  William  M.,  21. 

Shannon,  Capt.  — ,  a  call  from, 
106. 

Sharpsburg.     See  Antietam. 

Sherman,  Gen.  William  T.,  at 
Vicksburg,  219;  marching  to 
Mobile,  291;  his  work  in  Mis 
sissippi,  299;  between  Lee  and 
Hood,  327;  to  catch  Lee  in  the 


421 


INDEX 


rear,  331;  his  march  to  the  sea, 
333;  at  Augusta,  334;  going  to 
Savannah,  336;  desolation  in 
his  path,  340-341;  marching 
constantly,  342;  no  living  thing 
in  his  path,  354-355,  356, 
357;  burning  of  Columbia,  358, 
362;  correspondence  with  Gen. 
Hampton,  359;  promise  of  pro 
tection  by,  to  Columbia,  372; 
at  the  fall  of  Richmond,  377; 
ruin  in  his  track,  384;  remark 
of,  to  Joe  Johnston,  390;  ac 
cuses  Wade  Hampton  of  burn 
ing  Columbia,  396. 

Shiloh,  battle  of,  156. 

Simms,  William  Gilmore,  43,  145. 

Singleton,  Mrs.,  184,  194,  237;  her 
orphan  grandchildren,  238. 

Slidell,  Mrs.  — ,  149. 

Smith,  Gen.  Kirby,  wounded,  87, 
90;  as  a  Blucher,  94,  317,  323. 

Somerset,  Duke  of,  his  son  in 
Richmond,  203. 

Soulouque,  F.  E.,  his  career  in 
Hayti,  74. 

South  Carolina,  the  secession  of, 
2,  4;  attack  on,  10;  a  small 
State,  70. 

Spotswood  Hotel,  the,  59;  the 
author  at,  69;  a  miniature 
world,  70;  the  drawing-room  of, 
79. 

Spottsylvania  Court  House,  bat 
tles  around,  310. 

Stanard,  Mr.  — ,  94. 

Stan  ton,  Edwin  M.,  310. 

Stark,  Mary,  95,  146. 

St.  Cecilia  Society,  the,  balls  of, 
30. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  and  the  fir 
ing  on  Fort  Sumter,  35. 

Stephens,  Alexander  H.,  10; 
elected  Vice-President,  12;  his 
fears  for  the  future,  49. 


Stockton,  Philip  A.,  his  clandes 
tine  marriage,  120-122. 

Stockton,  Mrs.  Edward,  251. 

Stockton,  Emma,  272. 

Stoneman,  Gen.  G.  S.,  his  raid, 
239,  244,  245;  before  Atlanta, 
317,  377. 

Stony  Creek,  battle  of,  313. 

Stowe,  Harriet  Beecher,  143,  189. 

Stuart,  Gen.  Jeb,  his  cavalry,  187, 
277. 

Sue,  Eugene,  46. 

Sumner,  Charles,  74. 

Sumter,  S.  C.,  an  awful  story  from, 
401,  402. 


npABER,  WILLIAM,  26. 
JL      Taliaferro,  Gen.  — ,  317. 

Taylor,  John,  392. 

Taylor,  Gen.  Richard,  227. 

Taylor,  Willie,  165. 

Team,  Adam,  252?  254,  256. 

Thackeray,  W.  M.,  quoted,  110; 
on  American  hostesses,  168;  his 
death,  281. 

Thomas,  Gen.  George  H.,  his 
forces,  333;  and  Gen.  Hood, 
338;  wins  the  battle  of  Nash 
ville,  339,  340. 

Thompson,  John  R.,  258,  260,  298. 

Thompson,  Mrs.  John  R.,  204. 

Togno,  Madame  — ,  151. 

Tompkins,  Miss  Sally,  her  hospital, 
111. 

Toombs,  Robert,  an  anecdote 
told  by,  7,  20;  thrown  from  his 
horse  and  remounts,  97,  101; 
as  a  brigadier,  108;  in  a  rage, 
132;  his  criticisms,  171;  de 
nounced,  179. 

Toombs,  Mrs.  Robert,  a  recep 
tion  given  by,  48,  53 ;  a  call  on, 
112. 

Toombs,  Miss  — ,  anecdote  of,  193. 


422 


INDEX 


Trapier,  Gen.  — ,  148. 

Trapier,  Rev.  Mr.,  394,  397. 

Trenholm,  Capt.  — ,  133.         * 

Trescott,  William  H.,  24,  29,  70; 
says  Bull  Run  is  a  victory  lead 
ing  to  ruin,  92;  his  dinners,  153. 

Trezevant,  Dr.  — ,  198,  339. 

Trimlin,  Milly,  400-401. 

Tucker,  Capt.,  273. 

Tyler,  Miss,  14. 

JTNCLE  TOM'S  CABIN,  142, 
U      184. 
Urquhart,  Col.  — ,  313. 

-\  T  ALLANDIGH  AM,  CLEM- 
V  ENT  B.,  216. 

Velipigue,  Jim,  63. 

Venable,  Col.,  36,  40;  reports  a 
brave  thing  at  Bull  Run,  92; 
on  the  Confederate  losses  at 
Nashville,  134;  his  comment 
on  an  anecdote,  138;  on  toler 
ation  of  sexual  immorality,  143, 
144;  an  aide  to  Gen.  Lee,  172, 
187;  describes  Hood's  eyes,  230, 
257;  quoted,  289. 

Vicksburg,  gunboats  pass,  205; 
surrender  of,  reported,  219,  220; 
must  fall,  247;  a  story  of  the 
siege  of,  295. 

Virginia,  and  secession,  5. 

von  Borche,  Major — ,  268,  272; 
his  name,  285. 


WALKER,  JOHN,  394. 
Walker,  William,  384. 
Walker,  Mrs.— ,49,  112. 
Wallenstein,  translations  of,  162. 
Ward,  Matthias,  an  anecdote  by, 

51. 

Washington,  city  of,  deserted,  27; 
alarming  news  from,  49;   why 


not  entered  after  Bull  Run,  90; 
how  news  of  that  battle  was 
received  in,  91;  Confederates 
might  have  walked  into,  103; 
state  dinners  in,  166. 

Washington,  George,  at  Trenton, 
237. 

Washington,  L.  Q.,  letters  from, 
158,  164,  245. 

Watts,  Col.  Beaufort  and  Fort 
Sumter,  42;  a  touching  story 
of,  43,  147. 

Wayside  Hospital,  the,  205;  the 
author  at,  321. 

Weston,  Plowden,  160. 

West  Point,  Ga.,  220. 

Whitaker,  Maria,  and  her  twins, 
45,  386. 

Whiting,  Col.  — ,  31. 

Whiting,  Gen.  — ,  307. 

Whitner,  Judge,  26. 

Wigfall,  Judge  L.  T.,  29;  speech 
by,  30;  angry  with  Major  An 
derson,  48,  69;  and  Mr.  Brew- 
ster,  7.3;  quoted,  91;  with  his 
Texans,  96;  an  enemy  of  Mr. 
Davis,  102;  reconciled  with  Mr. 
Davis,  104;  still  against  Mr.  Da 
vis,  261;  and  Joe  Johnston's 
removal,  320;  going  to  Texas, 
373;  on  the  way  to  Texas,  377; 
remark  of,  to  Simon  Cameron, 
400. 

Wigfall,  Mrs.  L.  T.,  28;  a  visit 
with,  32;  talk  with,  about  the 
war,  33;  a  telegram  to,  59; 
quoted,  84;  a  drive  with,  96; 
a  call  on,  266,  275. 

Wilderness,  the  battle  of  the,  310. 

Williams,  Mrs.  David  R.  (the  au 
thor's  sister,  Kate),  127,  329, 
351,  399. 

Williams,  Mrs.  John  N.,  129. 

Williamsburg,  battle  at,  161,  171. 

Wilson,  Henry,  at  Manassas,  89. 


423 


INDEX 


Winder,  Miss,  arrested,  113. 
Withers,  Judge  — ,21,  60. 
Withers,  Kate,  death  of,  403. 
Witherspoon,  John,  250,  404. 
Witherspoon,  Mrs.  — ,  found  dead, 
129. 


YANCEY,  WILLIAM  L.,  talk 
from,  120;   letter  from,  to 
Lord  Russell,  136. 
"Yankee  Doodle, "20. 
Yorktown,  siege  and  evacuation 
oi>  161. 


424 


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